For Better or Worse
by RenabelleGal
Summary: When Chase meets his childhood friend he begins to fall for her all over again. However, when someone from his past returns to haunt him, he has to give up his love or suffer the consequences. There is little choice for him... ChaseOC
1. Chance Meeting

**This is a new story for Christmas and the New Year. I've been working on this story instead of the other one, but I promise to update the other one ASAP! Please review. If you don't like it I'll take it down. And same old disclaimer – I do not own the Covenant characters. I own only the character that I create myself, who'll appear in this first chapter. I credit one of my very best friends for the character, for she is based on her. Enjoy!**

Chase's dark blue eyes glinted with anger as he glared up at the charred remains of the Putnam barn. He recalled the battle three weeks ago. He hated Caleb Danvers and the rest of the Covenant. Their forefathers had banished his ancestor centuries ago. Caleb Danvers had defeated him three weeks ago.

The defeat angered him the most. He should have won the battle. He had had his father's Power and he had Ascended. Caleb Danvers had the gift of his father's Power at the last minute. He had lost the battle and lost that chance to possess more Power than before.

However, a small smile formed on his face when he remembered one thing. He knew Reid Garwin had Ascended a week ago. Reid was the one closest to the addiction of Using, and the one least able to control his Power. Chase could make Reid will him his Power easily enough. Yet he knew the Garwins were, once every few generations, first or second in strength in terms of Power. This time, Reid was the strongest next to Caleb. Chase knew much.

Chase also knew another thing. There was little he could do but wait. He would have to bide his time and wait for the right time to strike. Plans to destroy the Covenant he so hated were formed in his head, except that the time just wasn't right to execute them. With a resigned sigh, he started along the path back to the woods that concealed his house.

"Chase!" a voice suddenly called out. The voice was familiar, and it was a girl's. Chase stopped in his tracks and turned around.

He almost let out a gasp of surprise when he saw the one standing on the path outside the barn. There was absolutely no mistaking the long, wavy, raven-colored hair, the small slender frame, the tanned skin and the slightly large blue-grey eyes that belonged to the girl.

"Hey, Icera," Chase called back, the hard look on his face softening ever so slightly.

Icera Williams was his one true childhood friend, a year younger than him, and the only one he had ever trusted for his entire life. He had a soft spot for her, although his mind was now predominantly ruled by thoughts of destroying the Covenant. For many months he had forgotten his past life – his past life where ignorance was bliss, except that the knowledge of his Power stayed with him for life.

Icera ran over to him and hugged him. Chase felt inclined to push her away, but he thought better of it. He had liked her since he first knew her, and the feeling continued into his teenage years, until he began to know of his family history. It was then that he began to change for the worse.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you for months," Icera smiled, looking at his face.

Chase decided to tell her what he had been up to since he discovered his family history. After all, he did have implicit trust in her – even if his emotions were usually anger and hatred, and rarely, if never, trust. He began to speak.

"I was in my… father's study room one day. He allowed me to use it for a school project. Then I saw something sticking out from the drawer. It was my birth certificate. It was then I discovered I wasn't Chase Collins. I am Chase Goodwin Pope. I set out to discover who my birth parents were. I disappeared months before my eighteenth birthday, remember?"

Icera nodded, listening attentively. She had missed him, and she finally found him again, purely by chance. She never expected to meet him on one of her fortnightly walk in the woods and the area around the woods.

Chase continued, "I finally found my birth parents. My biological mother had died. My birth father continued to live, although he was weak. He told me the history of my family… It turned out that centuries ago, five families formed a Covenant of silence. The firstborn male of each family had the Power, and still do. My ancestor, John Putnam, however, wanted to expose the Covenant. He wanted more riches.

""Not long after, he was accused of witchcraft by a woman, Goody Pope. She claimed that he had been coming to her as an incubus in her dreams. My ancestor was hung, although the ones who sentenced him knew not of his Power.

"Everyone thought that the Putnam bloodline had vanished without a trace. But it survived. Goody Pope gave birth to his descendant. I am the descendant of the last bloodline, the Putnam bloodline. It shocked me that while every one of my forefathers knew of the terrible history of our family, none bothered to take revenge. I chose to be the one. I wanted the Covenant to _pay_ for what they had done – they cast out my ancestor.

"I made my father will me his Power. He died immediately, and I began to execute my plans. I killed off my adoptive parents by causing a so-called car accident on my eighteenth birthday. I Ascended that night – my Power fully matured. No, don't speak. I transferred to Spenser Academy, where the descendants of the other four families studied. The Danvers, Parry, Garwin and Sims bloodlines' descendants. I ingratiated myself with them."

"But the one of the Danvers line – Caleb – discovered that I was the descendant of the fifth bloodline. It happened that it was his eighteenth birthday the next night. I hurt the girlfriend of Pogue Parry, the one of the Parry line. I used Pogue as bait to lure Caleb. I partially succeeded.

"On the night of Caleb's birthday, Caleb and I had a fierce battle here in the barn. I abducted his girlfriend to make him will me his Power. But his own father willed him _his_ Power after he himself Ascended. He defeated me. I nearly died, but I had created a shield around me to protect myself from the flames in the barn. I fled into the woods after everyone left, to recuperate. I regained my strength in there for three weeks."

"I return three weeks later. I sought revenge, and I seek it still. Reid Garwin Ascended a week ago. I want to make them will me _their_ Power. I want to destroy that cursed Covenant so that my own bloodline will flourish. I want to make them sorry for what they did – what their ancestors did."

Chase ended with a short, harsh laugh. Then he looked closely at Icera. There was sorrow in those misty-blue eyes of hers, and they were bright, bright with the threat of tears. Chase felt a pang of remorse in him. Icera had respected him, had loved him wholeheartedly, he knew that. Yet he had disappointed her.

"You've changed so _much_, Chase. How could you? I knew and remembered you as the boy whom I loved because of his wit, his charming smile, his cheerful disposition, his always-forgiving nature. You've changed…" Icera whispered hoarsely, her tears beginning to fall.

Chase bit his lip, then said harshly, "You never knew how it was like growing up like me! Do you think I enjoyed it? I _will_ finish what I started – and you can't stop me!"

He fled. Somehow, somewhere, he knew he would meet her again. He just didn't know how and where.

**Alright, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it, please, please do review and thank you. And Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Year (albeit early)!**


	2. Spenser Guard

**Here's chapter two, part A, for your enjoyment! Please review! I also stress that all characters save for Icera, her family and any other OCs, do not belong to me. And Icera is also based on my friend and thus, my friend (Aneka, who also reviewed this story) deserves some credit too! **

"Icera, you do realize that since we moved here a couple of months ago, we haven't been able to find a good school for you?" Marcus Williams said to his daughter.

"Yes…" muttered Icera. There were at three schools in the neighborhood, and her father had found two unsatisfactory ("They are _public_ schools," her father had complained) and the other – her father had not said actually anything about it, but she was sure it would be negative too.

"Well, I checked out the third school in the vicinity and it has an excellent record, which is perfect for you. It's a preparatory school and I had a hard time letting the Provost let you in. I'll be paying a lot of money for your tuition," Mr. Williams said.

"Okay, Dad. What school is it?" Icera asked, trying hard not to roll her eyes at her own father.

"It's called Spenser Academy, dear," Kayla Williams replied on behalf of her husband.

Icera looked up in surprise. Spenser Academy? Wasn't that the school that the four Sons of Ipswich attended, according to Chase? She would be attending the same school as them.

"Is there a problem, dear?" Mrs. Williams asked in a concerned tone.

"Nothing, Mum, it's just that one of my friends is also attending Spenser Academy. By the way, is it a boarding school or something?" Icera asked quickly.

"Well, from what the Provost told your father, it's a semi-boarding school. Your father has decided that you should be a boarder," Mrs. Williams replied.

Icera bit her lip. She knew why her father wanted her to be a boarder again – when she asked him once, he had replied, "You should have respectable contacts so that you can easily survive in a corporate environment. Being a boarder will help you expand your contacts."

Icera had been a boarder for most of her life. She had never been close to anyone in her family and did not have any true friends, as she was exceptionally shy yet soft-hearted. _Except for Chase,_ a voice in her mind said.

Chase was the other reason why she did not want to be a boarder at Spenser Academy. It was apparent that Chase had turned manipulative and power-hungry. She knew Chase would interfere with her life at Spenser. And well, it would start earlier than she thought.

"When am I going to Spenser Academy?" Icera questioned.

"Monday," Mr. Williams said simply.

_Great. And it's Friday,_ thought Icera, and went up to her bedroom without a word.

As she opened the door, she noticed that a figure, illuminated by the lamp on her study desk, sat on her bed. She gasped when she saw who it was.

"Chase? What are you doing here?" she said.

"I know you are attending Spenser in a few days," Chase said. "I eavesdropped on your conversation with your father. And I slipped in unseen because I Used."

"How do you answer my questions when I don't even say anything?" Icera asked in awe.

"Easy. By Using, I'll be able to read your mind," answered Chase with a smile.

"Oh, Chase. Anyway, what _are_ you doing here?" Icera said as she sat down beside him.

"I'm going to be your – er – guard at Spenser. I can teach you quite a bit about the Spenser environment and the Sons of Ipswich," Chase replied.

"I don't need you to be my guard or whatever. In fact I think the Sons of Ipswich can be pretty nice guys," Icera protested.

"At least, be careful of Aaron Abbot and Reid Garwin. Maybe you should be wary of Pogue Parry and Tyler Sims," Chase said.

"Why?" Icera asked suspiciously.

"You'll find out on Monday," Chase responded mischievously, then vanished.

"Looks like I'll be stuck with a so-called 'guard'. Well he's not so bad; at least he still has his old sense of humor. I thought he had turned all _evil_, from what he told me," Icera said to herself, letting a smile emerge on her face.

**I hope you enjoyed it and please review, thanks!**


	3. Meeting The Boys

**Here's chapter two, part B, for you guys to enjoy! Please review, since I was kind of disappointed to receive only one review for part A. I've decided to continue only if I get a total of at least seven reviews. Sorry, but that's me, because I'd really like to get feedback from readers and authors alike. And once again, I do not own anything save for the character of Icera (who is based on my friend and thus she deserves some credit), her family, and other possible OCs! **

Icera stepped into Spenser Academy, feeling self-conscious. She did not know anyone and was sure she would not until Chase decided to interfere with her life. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Pulling her backpack closer to her, she walked slowly through the halls.

She looked at her watch. She'd be late for her Physics class if she did not get there in five minutes. The problem was, she had no idea where she the classroom was. Biting her lip, she decided to take a chance and walked into another corridor that was rather narrow. Upon seeing that nobody was there, she turned around quickly – only to bump into someone.

Looking up hastily, she saw a blond guy with light blue eyes looking at her with a small smile on his face.

"Sorry," Icera muttered in a small voice.

"It's okay. Are you new around here? I've never seen you before," the blond asked.

"Um, yeah. I'm supposed to go for Physics class, but I don't know where the classroom is," Icera replied.

"I'm going to Physics class too. Tyler Sims," a boy with dark hair edged forward, holding out his hand.

"Icera. Icera Williams," Icera smiled, shaking Tyler's hand.

"I'm Reid Garwin. You've a nice name. Icera… it matches your eye color," Reid said charmingly.

Icera smiled at him. Sims. Garwin. The two surnames sounded familiar. Then realization struck her. Chase had told her. Of course.

"Just ignore him. I'm Caleb Danvers. And he's Pogue Parry," a third said. He had dark brown hair and eyes that matched his hair. He had a nice smile, a genuine one. He nudged a long-haired boy beside him, who did not seem entirely interested in the conversation.

"Hi guys. So, um, where's the Physics classroom?" Icera said as she quickly checked her watch.

"Oh. Right. We're all going to Physics class, actually. Come on, just follow us. We'll get there soon enough," Reid said, and motioned for Caleb to move out of the cramped corridor and lead the way.

"So. Where do you come from? Were you born here in Ipswich?" Reid inquired.

"Yeah, but my old house was many streets away. I moved to this neighborhood a couple of months ago," Icera answered.

"A couple of months ago? Why didn't we ever see you around?" Tyler asked, lagging back a little to talk.

"My father found the other two public schools unsatisfactory. He decided to send me here just last Friday. My father's a businessman and all he thinks about is work. He sends me to school just so that I can have respectable contacts for survival in the business world. I don't want to be like my father though," Icera sighed.

Reid and Tyler stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Icera rather enjoyed this silence. The Sons of Ipswich were nice enough, but she didn't know about Chase. As she thought about him, a figure formed beside her. It was Chase. Only she seemed to be able to see him – the rest were completely oblivious to him.

"I told you to stay away from them! Well, all of them are harmless enough, save for Reid," Chase hissed.

"Why?" Icera said in as low a whisper she could manage.

"You'll find out when you get to your dorm after classes. I'll appear to you there," Chase whispered, and vanished.

"Did you say something, Icera?" Caleb said, looking back at Icera.

"Uh, no. Maybe it was someone else," Icera offered. She was lucky that there were still students loitering around outside the classrooms.

"Okay. Oh, here we are. Quick, Mr. Stephens will be coming in a minute or so," Caleb said, though there was the slightest hint of suspicion in his voice.

The group walked with quick steps into the room and they sat down. Pogue and Tyler sat together, while Caleb, Reid and Icera sat a row below them. Seeing Chase glaring at Reid from the door, she quickly sat beside Caleb. Chase smiled a little and walked out through the door.

Just then, Mr. Stephens – a balding man of average height and dressed in a dark green suit – stepped in, bumping into Chase. Chase was, of course, entirely invisible to the teacher, who looked stunned for a moment. Chase had slipped out as fast as possible.

The comical sight of Mr. Stephens bumping into thin air – or the door, for those who were looking from the side – sent many ripples of laughter throughout the class. Even Caleb had a smile on his face and the frosty-looking Pogue, was grinning and threatening to burst out with laughter. Icera smiled a little.

Mr. Stephens stepped in front of the blackboard and gave the class a fierce look. The class immediately quieted.

"Mr. Stephens is the fiercest teacher in Spenser. Even the most daring students fear him," Caleb whispered quickly, though a hint of a smirk was evident on his face. Reid scowled.

The class began quickly. Icera soon found out that while it was hard to stay awake in the class, for Mr. Stephens spoke in a monotone, anyone who was caught sleeping – or even showing signs of sleepiness, save for rubbing of the eyes – was screamed at. So far, three boys and two girls had endured Mr. Stephens' loud, fierce voice.

Mr. Stephens, however, seemed to play favorites. For example, Mr. Stephens had smiled about twice at Tyler, both when he had answered his questions completely right (one was a question that nobody else seemed to understand, the other was one that nobody except Tyler seemed to be interested in). When another student had given the correct answer for a question, he had just nodded and told him to sit.

As the lesson ended, the students filed out, chattering noisily. Reid asked Tyler grudgingly, "You do know that birds of a feather flock together, don't you?"

"I know that. And I know why you're saying this," Tyler rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Oh, because Mr. Stephens favors you? And that you are the only person in the class who has never once been scolded by Mr. Stephens?" Reid smirked.

"I can't help it. My mum would kill me if she found out I slept in class or something," Tyler countered.

"Whatever you say, _baby boy_," Reid said cleverly, using the nickname that he had devised for him.

"Why 'baby boy'?" Icera asked, puzzled. Chase had never told her about the ages of the Covenant, except that Caleb was the oldest and Reid was the second oldest. She had once met a pair of siblings who were the children of her father's business associate, with the younger brother looking older than his elder sister. While Tyler looked somewhat younger than Pogue, she could never be sure.

"Tyler here's the youngest. Pogue's eighteenth birthday is in about a week - next Tuesday, you see, while Tyler has to wait for another month or so.. which just so happens to be during Christmas break," Caleb explained.

Just then, a mocha-skinned girl with long, straight black hair not unlike Icera's though longer and straighter walked by chatting with a blond girl.

"Kate!" Pogue called out, his face lighting up instantly.

The girl whom he called Kate just shot a glare at him, and walked on. The blond girl looked back apologetically, then hurried on, though she looked back occasionally. Her glance often fell on Caleb, and once or twice, Icera.

"That's Kate Tunney, Pogue's girlfriend. They had an argument a few days ago and they haven't patched it up yet. And just in case you were wondering, the blond girl's Sarah Wenham. She's my girlfriend." Caleb whispered. Pogue's form sagged as he looked wistfully at Kate's back.

"Let's go, guys, or we'll be late for the next class," Icera said, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them. The boys looked at her and nodded, and they walked on.

The group spoke little after that one incident, heading off to the same classes, which were, coincidentally enough, Icera's classes too. Classes began quickly and ended slowly and by the time the day's classes were over, Icera's notebook was about a quarter filled.

"Wanna go to Nicky's with us?" Reid asked soon after last class for the day (History, the most boring subject that they took) had ended.

"What is Nicky's?" Icera inquired.

"It's the local bar. We usually play pool or foosball there. And we occasionally play our own little game there," Reid replied, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

"I have to, uh, make an important call. Why don't we meet up at around six forty-five, at, like, the school library?" Icera suggested.

"Alright then. We'll see you there," Reid said, winking at her, and then left with the rest of the group.

Icera looked at the numbers and letters on the keys. According to Tyler, the first number inscribed on the key referred to the story that they would reside in, the next letter referred to the staircase they were to take and the next letter and number was the room they would reside in. If there was a letter P after the last letter, it meant that it was a private dorm.

According to Tyler again, there were only five private dorms in the building, one on each story of the building, and each one was expensive to maintain. Only the richest got private rooms. "Alright, 3F-E6P, here I come!" Icera murmured to herself, and walked to her room using exactly the instructions Tyler gave her and soon found herself in a well-furnished dorm which was well-kept and had one large, comfortable bed and a nice bathroom.

"Chase?" Icera asked, looking around. She had not seen him just yet.

"Over here," a familiar voice said. Icera turned towards the bathroom and there he stood.

Icera smiled and flopped down on her bed. "I stayed in one of these dorms for a short while, you know," Chase said, walking to her bedside.

"Oh, really?" Icera laughed. Chase just gave a small smile, and then looked at his watch.

"You're going to meet Garwin and the others in half an hour's time, aren't you?" he said disapprovingly.

"Oh, come on. The whole group's really nice, especially Reid and Tyler," Icera sighed, standing up. Her items had been moved to her dorm the day before she arrived at Spenser.

"You really think so? While Caleb and Pogue are rather harmless to you, Garwin and Sims are just vying for your attention. But while Tyler is kind of like the other two guys – harmless to a girl like _you_ - Garwin is dangerous. He's a huge flirt and a player," Chase argued.

"Why are you even telling me this, hmm? My personal life hasn't got anything to do with you!" Icera said, looking at the boy glaring down at her.

"I _am_ your b-best friend, you know," Chase said, turning a faint shade of pink. Icera giggled. Chase, however tough he was, had a soft spot for her. And she knew that well.

"Well, anyway, remember you told me about a guy named Aaron Abbot on Friday night?" Icera asked.

"Oh. That. He's like a school bully. Just because he's the richest guy in school with the most popular and snobbish girl in the school as his girlfriend, he thinks he can boss people around. Stay clear of him, he especially likes picking on the Sons of Ipswich, anyone seen hanging out with them and new transfer students," Chase answered.

"Why do they hate the Sons of Ipswich so much, from what you described?" Icera questioned, curiosity in every fiber of her voice.

"Well, it's all because the Sons of Ipswich are richer than him. And they're more popular. They are witches, see? So Aaron is just the richest _powerless _guy in Spenser," replied Chase.

"Oh, all right. Would you mind just waiting here first? I'm going in to change," Icera chuckled, and went to the bathroom. Chase rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed.

When Icera came out of the room, her hair, previously tied into a ponytail, was let loose, and she wore a baby pink off-shoulder top and a denim skirt. A pair of dark blue earrings hung from her ears and on her wrist was a silver bracelet with a few charms.

"Wow. You look… nice," Chase remarked. He always liked Icera, just that he was too proud to admit it.

"You say I look nice in everything, like that time when I wore a totally bad outfit to Jessica's sixteenth birthday bash. I got ridiculed and I didn't stay for longer than an hour," Icera smirked. "Since then, I've learnt never to trust your fashion judgment."

"Oh _fine_," growled Chase.

"Hey, it's nearing six forty-five, I have to go now," Icera said, glancing at the digital clock on her bedside table.

"Don't say I didn't warn you about Reid," muttered Chase.

Icera put on a pair of strappy sandals and walked to the door. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she quickly turned to face Chase.

"Hey, Chase?" she said gently.

"Yeah?" Chase said, looking up.

Icera smiled and blew him a kiss, then left the room.

**Well, as you can see, I decided to add more romance in the story. I hope it was a good move. I also hope that the chapter is not too long or anything. Again, please review and a Happy New Year to all!**


	4. A Contrast of Feelings

**I apologize for the lateness of the chapter, but my computer broke down, so I'm using my cousin's computer now. So, current pairings are CalebSarah, PogueKate and ChaseIceraReid. Many thanks to everybody who reviewed! Same old disclaimer, everyone knows it. And for my friend, well, she partially owns Icera )**

Icera walked into the school library, her mind filled with thoughts of Chase. Recalling Chase's adorably surprised expression just now, she smiled to herself. She looked up and noticed Reid waving to her. She walked over, forcing herself not to think of Chase.

It seemed that as soon Icera made her way to the desk the boys were sitting at, Reid and Tyler were immediately trying to outdo each other in greeting her with enthusiasm. Pogue, who seemed much more cheerful than before, gave her a quick wave. Icera pulled out a chair between Reid and Pogue ("Yes!" Reid whispered, at this point) and sat.

"Hey guys. Um, where's Caleb?" Icera said, upon noticing that Caleb was not around.

"He said he'd be late, he's trying to get the girls to come," Tyler answered.

"You know, I've known Kate since we were kids. She's really sweet, although there are times when she loses her temper. But other than that, she's the nicest girl you'll ever meet. She's like an angel," Pogue beamed.

"Stop that, it hurts our feelings," joked Icera.

"Yeah. You make it sound like Sarah and Icera are worthless, when they are not," Reid agreed with a laugh.

As the next few minutes passed by with idle chatter, Reid finally exclaimed as he stood up with impatience, "That's _it_, I'm going now."

"Calm down, man. Look, Caleb's here, with Sarah and Kate," Pogue said, putting a restraining hand on Reid.

Caleb spotted them and waved, then motioned for them to go over. Reid smirked and walked over, with the rest following him.

"Hi guys, let's go now," Caleb said quickly.

Icera smiled and nodded, then extended a hand to Sarah and Kate. "Hi, I'm Icera, Icera Williams. You must be Sarah and Kate," she said.

"Hello, Icera," Sarah smiled.

"Yeah, it's great to meet you. I suppose Caleb talked about us?" Kate said, shaking Icera's hand.

"Caleb _and_ Pogue. Pogue was extolling all your virtues and said you barely had a fault," Icera said, nudging her forward so that she was closer to Pogue.

Kate and Pogue both flushed red, as they walked side by side. The rest lagged behind on purpose, talking of mundane things. Finally Pogue took Kate's hand and said, a pleading look in his eyes, "Sorry, baby. I promise never to make you angry again."

Kate looked up and after a while, nodded. They walked hand in hand, before Reid called out, "Guys, don't get mushy, you're giving me goose bumps!"

Everyone looked at him with annoyance. Reid pouted and said, "Okay, I've got the emotional range of a teaspoon. Sorry, satisfied now?"

The rest laughed at this, and continued talking as they walked. They stopped at the entrance of Nicky's. "Well, Icera, welcome to Nicky's," Reid said, slowing down to walk beside her.

The group walked into the pub and Icera immediately found herself absorbed into the atmosphere of Nicky's. It was thick with the laughter and chatter of the crowd, the sounds coming from the pool tables and foosball tables and the loud music that blared from one corner of the pub.

It being Monday, there were a few empty tables in the pub. The group made their way to two of the tables and sat. Icera looked up and saw Chase standing in the distance, observing her and the rest. She stared at him as he looked back. There was something in his eyes, but she was unable to make it out.

"Icera, do you want anything?" Pogue's voice brought Icera's attention back to the Sons of Ipswich and the girls.

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing, thanks," Icera answered. Pogue shrugged and went over to the counter, ordering fries and a coke.

"Does anyone want to play pool?" Reid asked, standing up.

"You're on," Tyler said confidently, and walked over to an empty pool table with Reid.

"Hey! Why am I always the one who's stuck with the girls?" he called after them.

"Why don't you want to play pool with the guys?" asked Icera.

"I don't like playing pool with Reid. He's a cheater, you know. He's a good player on his own, but he's practically unbeatable when he cheats," Caleb answered, looking over at the table. Sure enough, Tyler looked ready to scream in frustration as Reid pocketed balls easily.

"That's exactly my point," Caleb said wisely, and continued to observe the pair. As Pogue walked over to Reid and Tyler, he suddenly groaned.

"Oh _no_," he moaned, and rushed over to them.

"That girl whom you're betting on is Kira Snider!" he hissed.

"What? Oh my God Reid, you _had_ to go to do it, didn't you?!" Tyler exclaimed exasperatedly, as a gust of wind blew over.

"I did it before you came over to warn us. Ah well, looks like it's another… showdown with Aaron Abbot," Reid said.

Kira and Aaron walked over to the group. Kira said maliciously, "Hello guys, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, Kira. Aren't you supposed to be with your sissy of your boyfriend bothering someone else?" Reid replied smoothly.

"I'm not a sissy," Aaron growled, edging forward. He and Reid were eyeball-to-eyeball, ready to fight.

"Really? I thought you were," Reid said coolly, though his expression hardened.

_Reid, stop it and settle it amiably!_ Caleb demanded mentally.

_That won't ever happen. And I will never back down from Aaron Abbot!_ Reid replied angrily.

"You flipped Kira's skirt and I won't let _you_ off," Aaron hissed.

_Hey. Icera's coming over. This looks nasty. Hope she isn't picking a fight with Aaron!_ Caleb said suddenly.

True enough, Icera was indeed coming over to the boys' side. She defended hotly, "Hey, stop that. You don't have concrete evidence to prove that Reid flipped Kira's skirt. If you don't believe me, then ask around!"

"Who are you, huh? A desperate whore?" Aaron snorted derisively. However, right after he said it, he felt something hard hit his face.

Chase had hit him, although he was invisible to everyone but Icera. Icera stepped on Aaron's foot hard. Aaron and Kira were both speechless. They left Nicky's hastily, with Aaron nursing both a bruised face and a throbbing foot.

"Icera, you rocked!" Kate exclaimed, running over to Icera.

"Icera, you totally kicked his ass," Reid commended, and pulled Icera into a hug.

Icera's body stiffened. Reid sensed her unease and quickly let her go, apologizing. Icera stared at Chase. He stared back and vanished in complete silence. And she saw the sadness in his eyes as he vanished, a thin wisp of Power in his place, which slowly evaporated into nothingness.

"What are you looking at?" Reid asked curiously.

"Nothing, Reid. Nothing," Icera shook her head, trying hard to mask the sadness in her voice.

**Alright, how was this chapter! I hoped it was good. Please review and thanks in advance. I'll update the next chapter as soon my computer's fixed!**


	5. Reappearance

**I really, sincrely, totally apologize for being so LATE in updating. My computer is still broken after 3 weeks and I rarely come to my cousin's house so... well, sorry. Anyway, I hope I'm not forgotten! I'll continue when I get 16, 17 reviews:) For now, enjoy and thank you! I'm also dedicating this chapter to my classmates and teachers - I completed the drafts in class, thank you for letting me to do so! Again same old disclaimer, and Icera is credited to my friend.**

Icera walked into the class reluctantly and alone, just a few minutes before the bell rung. She had not seen Chase since the night before in Nicky's. She had hoped that Chase would be waiting for her to get up in the morning, or in the hallways, trying to warn her or scold her. Yet he was seemingly missing and she did not know why. She wanted to know if he was alright. However, she did not.

Reid waved to her enthusiastically, but she just ignored him, walking along to find a free seat - any seat away from the Covenant boys so she could think about Chase without the boys seeing into her mind. She did not want to implicate Chase. Finally, she found an available seat next to a popular long-haired, Asian girl whom she knew as Clarissa. She took out her books for the lesson, ignoring the loud chatter that filled the class.

"Why is she ignoring me?" Reid whispered to Tyler.

"She doesn't like you!" smirked Tyler.

"Oh, shut up, baby boy. She doesn't look happy," Reid hissed.

"Well, she did have a chaotic first day at school," Tyler said pointedly.

Reid scowled and looked towards the door, waiting for Mr. Richmond, the Literature professor. Tyler looked straight ahead, his pen and notebook in his hand. As the bell rung, the class immediately fell to silence. A stern-looking professor in a dark grey suit entered the classroom.

"Good morning class. Before we start the day, the Provost would like to see... Mr. Danvers, Mr. Garwin, Mr. Abbot and Miss Williams. The four of you may go now - and no more fights, you hear me?" Mr. Richmond said sternly.

Reid, Aaron and Icera all looked nonchalant, while Caleb looked confused. He stood up, with Reid, Aaron and Icera following suit and walking out to the hallways with him. Reid and Caleb walked together, with Aaron a good distance away from them and Icera trailing slowly behind, looking dazed.

"Guess it's about last night's fight," Reid said in a bored tone.

Aaron shot Reid a deadly look, while Caleb and Icera looked disinterested. Reid rolled his eyes and walked on. The four walked in icy silence, though Reid was clearly the most restless. They trudged up the staircase that led to Provost Higgins' office and Caleb walked up first and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Provost Higgins said.

Caleb opened the door and the four walked in, stopping short at the sight of a particular figure standing in front of the Provost's desk.

"Chase! You're here!" Icera said excitedly, a smile emerging on her face.

"Hi, Icera," Chase smiled.

Caleb and Reid's expression immediately hardened, both looking equally displeased though they were trying hard to conceal it, while Aaron looked quite indifferent. Both Caleb and Reid were shocked at knowing Chase was still alive and even more so that Icera and Chase were friends.

_It's him. He's alive! And he knows ICERA!_ Reid screamed in his mind.

_I didn't know too. Relax and see how the situation goes._ Caleb thought in a practical tone.

"Well, as you can see, Mr. Collins is back with us. Before I get to him, I have heard of a fight between you two, Caleb, and Aaron, which resulted in Aaron getting physically injured. If I hear of any more fights, I'll have to do something. You may leave now, Aaron," the Provost said in a strict voice. "And no more fights."

"Yes, sir," Caleb and Aaron said, and the latter left the room.

Provost Higgins began, "Well... Chase was here for a few days before he fell sick. He has recovered and came back today. I would like the three of you to... take care of him. I've chosen the three of youi since I believe, Caleb and Reid, that you were closely acquainted with Chase. Icera, Chase has told me that the two of you have been best friends since you were young children -"

"WHAT?!" Reid yelled in shock.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Garwin?" Provost Higgins said sternly.

"No, sir. Please continue, sir," Reid said in an extremely polite tone.

Provost Higgins continued, more genially, "As I've said, Chase said that he knows you well, Icera, and since the two of you are both quite new here, I would like the two of you to look out for one another. It'll be better, of course, since you are friends. Thus, Caleb, Reid, do take care of them. You will also be excused from classes and swim team practice today."

"Yes, sir," the four said.

"Good. Now you may go, I have a few matters to attend to," the Provost said, turning to a stack of papers on his desk.

The group nodded and walked out, with Chase closing the door behind him. They turned into a corner far away from the office and immediately, Reid turned on Chase.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" he said angrily.

"Not here to take your Power, in any case. I'm here because of Icera. And she knows," Chase replied nonchalantly.

"Is that it? Icera, why didn't you tell us about your knowledge of Chase and the Power?" Caleb said harshly.

"I didn't want to implicate Chase. I know what Chase did and I've forgiven him for everything he's done. I trust him and that's all that matters for me," Icera said, not meeting Caleb's cold eye.

"Fine," Caleb said, his expression softening.

Reid, however, was furious. "You still trust a murderer?" he hissed.

"I don't want to call him that," Icera said softly, still looking down.

Reid's eyes darkened, and so did Chase's. Soon their eyes were as black as midnight, both ready to Use on one another.

"Reid. Stop it," Caleb said commandingly.

"Shut up, Danvers. Quit being such a pussy and let me deal with it," Reid snarled.

_"You_ shut up, Garwin. And Chase, for God's sake, stop. I don't want anything to happen to the two of you,_" _Caleb hissed.

Both teens stared at Caleb, their eyes fading to their natural colours. An awkward silence hung over the group, then Chase said, "Fine. I' won't do anything stupid, so long as Garwin doesn't."

"Just this once, Cay. Just this once," Reid said fiercely, folding his arms and walking away.

"Reid, wait up," Caleb shouted after him and ran to catch up with him.

* * *

"Where were you, man? We didn't see you for the whole of Literature period," Pogue said, slapping Caleb's back lightly. 

"Had to... take care of someone. Turned out to be Icera's boyfriend. They are somewhere else now, library or something," Caleb said vaguely.

"Right. I'm going off to Trigonometry class, the bell'll ring in ten minutes," Tyler said, walking off on his own.

"Ah. Bless his soul, always such a good boy," Pogue smirked, turning to look at Reid, who was unnaturally quiet.

"What's up, Reid? You're so quiet. So unlike you," Pogue remarked.

"Nothing. Don't ask," Reid answered.

Pogue sighed and waved to someone behind Caleb. Kate walked up and wrapped an arm around Pogue, ignoring dirty looks from Pogue's many fans.

"Hey baby. Let's go to class," Kate smiled up at Pogue, and waved goodbye to the other two boys.

Caleb turned on his heel and walked towards the school sports building, while Reid followed, looking bored.

"We don't have swim team practice," Reid said.

"I know. I just want to swim," Caleb said in a voice that showed very clearly that he did not want Reid to Use or do something stupid.

Reid immediately understood and walked silently behind Caleb. As soon as they entered the swimming area, they noticed that someone was swimming and somebody very familiar was cheering him on.

"Hi, Icera," Reid said quickly, with a smile.

"Hi Reid, hi Caleb. It's good to see you guys," smiled Icera.

Chase stepped out of the pool, pulling a towel over his back and waved to Caleb. Caleb nodded in response, while Reid gave him a look that clearly wished him a vicious death. Chase returned the look.

"Can't you two ever get along?" Icera said, exasperated.

"Never," Chase spat, still glaring at Reid.

The two continued to glower at each other, as though trying to outdo each other in giving the other poisonous looks.

"You boys. I'm going up to my dorm," Icera said.

"Hey. Wait for me, I'm coming along," Chase said, finally turning his eyes away from Reid.

He walked into the locker room, while the three began to chat. Hoping that Reid and Icera were not chatting together, he changed at top speed and walked out, only to see Reid and Icera absorbed in conversation. He was gripped by a beastly jealousy and walking up to Icera, took her hand roughly and walked out angrily.

"Chase! Stop it! What's the matter with you?" Icera said, trying to pull her hand away from Chase's tight grip.

"Sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me," Chase said humbly, immediately dropping Icera's hand though with some reluctance.

The pair stared at each other, each waiting for the other to break the silence. Yet, the silence was broken not by them, but by someone else.

"Holy fuck, _Chase Pope_?" a voice yelled.

Chase and Icera turned to a thunderstruck Pogue and Tyler, who stood with their mouths agape.

**OK, how was it? I really hope it was good enough. Hope you enjoyed it and PLEASE review! Thank you! You guys rock my life! Don't forget me, I'll try my very best to update as regularly as possible since my computer is totally broken down. So until then, please don't forget me:)**


	6. A Few More Secrets

**Well, my computer is finally fixed! This is THE longest I've ever done, do enjoy! And please, please, please review. I hope I can get a few more reviews! I'll continue when I get a total of 20, 21 reviews. Well, same old disclaimer, and Icera is credited to my friend. I'm also dedicating this chapter to my class again… The vocabulary lessons helped! Well, anyway, enjoy!**

"Caleb Danvers, how on earth can you forgive someone like – like HIM? He was the one who tried to kill you and destroy the rest of the Covenant!" Pogue whispered, careful not to let nearby students listen.

He and the rest of the Covenant, with Chase and Icera, were having lunch in the school cafeteria with the rest of the other students of Spenser. At the table they sat at, if one did not know that Chase and Icera hung out with the Sons of Ipswich, he would have thought that they were cashing in on the boys' popularity.

While they all sat together, Chase and Icera, who sat with Caleb on one side, were chatting together, seemingly unaware of the other four. Meanwhile, the four Sons were conversing among themselves, save for an unnaturally quiet Reid whose ego was significantly deflated – and everyone knew why.

"You've been going on for _ages_. I know exactly what you mean. I have decided to forgive him. I know he can be forgiven - I just _know_," Caleb answered.

"If you're fine with it, then…" sighed Pogue, finally backing down from his argument.

"I agree with Caleb, you've gotta be less harsh on him. Though, he is close to Icera," Tyler said wistfully.

"It's not fair! Why doesn't she like _me _instead?" Reid said suddenly, beginning to stab at his lunch with a fork.

The rest looked at each other, exasperated. Then they turned to Chase and Icera, who were still deeply engrossed in their conversation and apparently oblivious to Reid's sudden outburst. Shrugging their shoulders, they turned back.

"Looks like he's got it really bad for her. He's like a walking time bomb, liable to explode any minute," Tyler said sympathetically.

"That much is obvious. But I have to admit, he's really… boring now. Used to be so brash and hot-tempered, didn't he?" Caleb agreed in a low voice, unwilling for Reid to hear him.

Tyler looked over and said in a voice loud enough for Reid to hear, though his voice quivered ever so slightly, "Well, he's got to accept it or something, doesn't he? Don't you agree?"

This Reid heard, and he said loudly as he lay down his fork on the table, "Of course I agree. Now shut the hell up if you know what's good for you, _baby boy_."

People in the vicinity looked at Tyler, who was well-known as the youngest of the four Sons of Ipswich and as the one whose nickname was "Baby Boy". He dug into his food hastily as he flushed red. He kept his head down and looked up only after he was absolutely sure that people were not looking at him anymore.

Reid smirked, clearly satisfied, and then said to Icera with a curious glint in his eye, "Hey Icera. Do you want to go out on Saturday?"

"Um. I don't know," Icera said, looking up at Chase quickly.

"Do go. I'm sure you'll like it," Reid said, adding in an undertone, "even if some people don't."

Chase looked wary, and then his shoulders sagged. Icera looked at Reid, nodding. Reid grinned broadly.

"Reid, you're not -" Caleb hissed.

"So what if I am? Trust me, I'm not going to expose us," Reid said, smirking, though his voice had a solemn touch to it.

Caleb looked a little relieved, but his face also carried an expression of resignation.

_He's growing up. Trust him._ Tyler said, upon seeing Caleb's expression. Caleb nodded after a short while.

-

Icera awoke on Saturday to sharp raps on the door. She opened the door and saw Reid standing there, eyeing her curiously. He wore a navy blue jacket, a white t-shirt and black jeans.

"Just woke up?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. Um, wanna come in? Then I'll wash up and get dressed," Icera asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, ok," Reid said casually, walking in and sitting on the chair by the desk.

Icera took note of Reid's appearance and took out a light blue t-shirt and a pair of bleached jeans from her wardrobe and a pair of azure sneakers from her shoe cabinet. She washed up quickly and dressed even more quickly. She walked out of the bathroom quickly, not wanting Reid to wait too long.

"So. How do I look?" she asked, with a smile.

"Wow. You look really good," Reid laughed. "You like blue a lot, don't you?"

"Yeah. Maybe it has something to do with my name," Icera said.

"Right. Let's go," Reid beamed, standing up and offering his hand.

Icera ignored his proffered hand and walked out of her room. Reid dropped his hand, disappointed, and walked alongside her.

"So, where are we going?" Icera asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Reid said mysteriously.

The two walked to the school grounds and Reid smiled as he walked to a Hummer parked there.

"Isn't this -?" Icera stopped short.

"Tyler's car, yeah. Borrowed it for the day," laughed Reid.

"Tyler said that you don't borrow his car. He told me yesterday that you just take his car whenever you want to," Icera said suspiciously, though she looked amused.

"Well, okay. I didn't legally borrow it, but whatever. I'll get my own car after he Ascends, or if he's lucky, after Pogue Ascends," Reid smirked.

Icera laughed, and she got into the Hummer as Reid got in. Icera was intrigued by Reid's secrecy. She had no idea where they were going, but wherever it was, she was sure it would be fun. After all, Reid appeared to be quite fun-loving, though brash and a little overconfident in the time she knew him.

They drove through a few deserted roads and soon drove into a particularly scenic boulevard. Memories inundated Icera's mind. She beamed as she looked at the trees, and even let out a small laugh as they passed a very tall ash tree.

"Does this place bring back memories for you?" Reid inquired.

"Yeah. It was by that ash tree that I first met Chase. And it was again near here that I met Chase again after his disappearance," Icera blurted out.

Immediately realizing what she had said, she looked down at her lap. However, what Reid said next was a surprise to her.

"Don't be shy. I suppose you really like Chase, huh?" Reid asked.

"Well, yeah. He's my one and only true friend. I've known him for so long. And I really trust him. I don't care what he did. I believe him, and that's all that matters for me," Icera said in a low voice, which Reid understood to mean that she would not hear of anything against Chase.

The drive continued in silence, but as they drove into an unfamiliar part of town, Reid brightened up considerably.

"So where are we going?" Icera asked again.

"You'll know soon enough. We'll still be in Ipswich, of course, but a different part of it. Right, we're having breakfast… here," Reid said, as he pulled over in front of a diner.

"Okay. Cool place," Icera said, as she stepped out of the car after Reid did.

The two walked inside and Icera gave a small gasp of wonder. Glass-top tables and dark red seats formed most of the décor, while a few paintings hung on the cream-colored walls. It was crowded, though there were a few vacant tables. Reid looked across the diner quickly and found a corner table. He walked over with Icera following close behind him, and they sat down.

"It's a nice place. Beautiful." Icera remarked.

"Agreed. The boys and I come here sometimes. And I can get the occasional discount… my cousin works here," Reid nodded, looking for someone.

Reid waved to a waiter with light brown hair which had blond highlights in them. He walked over, smiling.

"Hi, Reid. Nice to see you here again. What's your order?" he asked. He had a pale complexion, and he looked boyish.

"Right, Daryl. Icera, what do you want to eat?" Reid said, turning to Icera.

"Why don't you order? I'm fine with anything," Icera replied.

"How about sandwiches and, um, coffee?" Reid said, uncertainly.

Icera smiled and nodded. Reid turned to his cousin and said, "Two plates of ham and cheese sandwiches and two cups of coffee," Reid said to Daryl.

"Coming right up," Daryl said, and walked away with his hair looking distinctly windswept.

"_That's_ your cousin?" Icera asked incredulously.

"Mum's brother's oldest son. He's twenty, but behaves a little like a kid. My aunt and uncle spoiled him to death, until he was sixteen." Reid explained, shaking his head.

"Aren't you too? Kinda like a pampered prince, aren't you?" Icera laughed.

"Hey, at least I have cool Power. And I'm already eighteen. I know what I should do. Caleb has been minding me since we were thirteen," Reid replied in a low voice.

"Alright. So what's next? Please tell me," Icera asked yet again.

"Oh, alright. After this we'll go to Gorman's house… he's our secret-keeper, in a way. And our underground meeting place. Thought you should know about it. After that dinner and we'll go back to Spenser," Reid answered, finally giving in.

"Cool. So I'm getting to know more about you boys. Can't wait," Icera remarked sincerely.

"Great that you're liking it," Reid said.

Daryl came up to them, carrying a tray with two small plates of sandwiches and two steaming cups of coffee. He set them down and walked away, waving to Reid.

The two stopped their conversation and began to eat in silence. Twenty minutes passed and soon they had finished their sandwiches and Reid had drunk his coffee. "Right… so, um, finish your coffee while I foot the bill and we'll go, okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, okay," Icera nodded eagerly, and drank the last dregs of her coffee as Reid went up to the counter and paid the bill.

They walked out and got into the car. Reid drove back towards the part of Ipswich that Icera knew and he turned into a deserted road. It ended where a wooden house stood on a large patch of land.

A crack of gunfire sounded as Reid got out of the Hummer.

"Gorman, it's me, Reid!" Reid yelled.

"Who's with you?" another voice yelled back questioningly.

"A friend!" Reid replied.

"The Icera girl?" Gorman asked.

"Um, yeah!" Reid said, looking quickly at Icera who was in surprise that this Gorman guy knew her name.

Gorman said no more, and Reid opened the car door for Icera. She walked out, walking uneasily beside Reid.

"Relax, Icera. Gorman's the one who told us about the Power and all that. And about the Book of Damnation. It contains the history of the Covenant, but doesn't record the beginnings of the Power," Reid explained, reading Icera's mind.

Icera commented, "Well, it is cool. In a creepy sort of way."

"That's what we thought when we were thirteen," Reid chuckled.

They entered the house and a man who seemed to be in his late fifties stood there, looking at them. Icera instinctively clung onto Reid's arm. Gorman looked at Icera and barked, "No need to be worried, girl. Caleb told me about you and the Pope boy."

"Caleb told you about Chase and Icera?" Reid asked, surprised.

"Yes. Reid, learn to embrace old foes, for you will never know if old foes may return to haunt the present," Gorman advised.

"What?" Reid was genuinely puzzled.

"The time will come when you understand what I just said. I suppose you're taking her to the underground area?" Gorman said.

"Yeah," Reid said.

"Go then," Gorman said as he turned away, walking up a flight of stairs.

Icera and Reid walked down a flight of stone steps. It led into a dimly lit underground room. It was plain, although there were a few decorations that Icera thought looked like bones. There were a circle of five rock chairs around a platform, which had a five-point star engraved on it. Leather-bound books lay on the shelves on one side of the wall. There was one in particular that stood out – it was the thickest book on the shelves.

"So this is like your meeting room?" Icera asked, awed.

"Yeah. What do you think? Oh, and look at that book. It's the Book of Damnation. Whenever there is a significant event, it is recorded in the Book. Though, I can't tell you its contents now. Only the leader of the Covenant can open the book," Reid explained.

"Wow… why are there five seats? I thought there were only four Sons of Ipswich," Icera asked, now noticing the circle of seats.

"The room was designed when the Covenant was first created. There were originally five Sons, and one seat for each son, see? But even after John Putnam died, we did not demolish the fifth seat. It has been empty for a long time," Reid answered.

"Right. Could you tell me who Gorman is, really?" Icera inquired. She was very curious about the place.

"Oh, back in 1962, there was a family – the Twoberry family. They were close friends of the five Covenant families, and has always kept our secrets faithfully. Actually, they're bound by spells to never speak of the Covenant's secret. The eldest Twoberry son has always been named Gorman since the Covenant's beginnings," Reid explained.

Icera looked at the place with a new kind of awe. She was quite sure that Chase did not know about it, and she thought of telling him, though only if Reid gave the green light.

"You _can_ tell him if you want, I suppose. Well, do you want to go for a movie? It's only two now," Reid asked, his eyes looking into Icera's mind.

"I'd love to go for a movie," Icera beamed. "And thanks for letting me tell Chase about this."

Reid smiled warmly. "Let's go now."

They walked up the flight of stairs. "We're going now, Gorman," Reid called.

Only silence greeted them. Reid and Icera walked out to the Hummer and got into it. Reid started the engine and drove towards the local Cineplex.

-

"Well, Reid, thanks for such a great day," Icera said, unbuckling the seat belt.

"Don't mention it," Reid said, leaning closer to Icera.

"So, um, goodnight," Icera said, feeling her body stiffen.

Reid did not seem to notice, and edged closer. "Yeah. Goodnight."

Thoughts of Chase pushed into Icera's mind. She shook her head slightly and said apologetically, "Sorry, Reid. I can't do this…"

She hurried out of the car and walked to the school gate, which was still open. She saw Reid with his head bowed down in the car as she looked back. Sighing, she entered the school grounds and the dorm building and walked up to her dorm. This date definitely was not the best date.

Of course, she had had more disastrous ones, and her best dates were, somehow, always with Chase. She smiled as she thought of him. He was the one who always stood by her, the one bright spark in her ordinary life – at least, as ordinary as possible, since she knew the secrets of the Covenant. As she thought of him, she suddenly heard his voice. She looked up.

"Hey Icera. You're back."

**How was that? I hope it was good enough! Please review and thanks! And constructive criticism is accepted, of course. I'm not entirely sure if the info given is entirely accurate, since I don't have the Covenant DVD (it is _not_ out in Singapore yet) and graphic novel. So, please tell me if there's anything wrong!**


	7. Memories

**Ok, here's the chapter! Please review, a simple comment, anything, thanks! And here I'm really developing the ChaseIcera pairing and it contains most part of their backstory. Enjoy!**

Icera frowned as she looked at her wardrobe, wondering what she would wear for that day's date with Chase. Thinking about the date made her feel joyous and whole. Chase was the sweetest boy she had ever met, a brilliant ray of sunshine in her life. She immediately recalled the previous night's events.

---

"Hey Icera. You're back," Chase said cheerfully, as Icera walked up to her dorm room.

"So I am. What are you doing here, though?" Icera smiled, as she inserted the key into the keyhole of her room.

"Well, I was thinking about tomorrow," Chase replied with a laugh.

"Tomorrow? What about tomorrow?" Icera asked, puzzled, pushing open the door. "Why don't you come in?"

Chase accepted the offer and asked, surprised, "You mean you don't remember anything about tomorrow?"

"No, what?" Icera said, as she sat on her bed.

"Tomorrow will be the day we first met thirteen years ago. 10 November, remember. We've been going out ever since your dad allowed you to hang out with me every time that day rolls around," Chase chuckled.

"Oh yeah. I forgot. So, where are we going this time around?" Icera asked, giggling.

"We're going out to the sea. It'll be kinda cold, of course, being November, but don't turn me down, will you?" Chase said.

"I wouldn't. But how are we going?" Icera inquired excitedly.

"I'm taking Dad's – my _adoptive_ dad's – yacht. He left everything he owned to me, and so did Mum. Anyway, we'll be having our meals onboard the yacht. What do you think of it?" Chase answered, looking at Icera expectantly.

"I'd love that. You're the best, honestly. Nothing will go wrong! I don't ever recall a date that has gone wrong," Icera squealed, flinging her arms around him.

"Whoa. Get a good night's sleep, okay? We'll be going at nine tomorrow. You look really tired," Chase laughed.

Icera nodded and let go of Chase, though she held on to his hand.

"Goodnight, Chase."

"Goodnight. Sleep well!"

Chase let go of Icera's hand and stood up, walking towards the door. He gave her a winning smile and walked out.

---

Icera finally decided on a baby blue off-shoulder top and a pair of white shorts. She then took out a small jewelry box from her chest of drawers and took a pair of sapphire teardrop earrings from it. Just as she put them on, she heard her door unlock and Chase stepped in.

"Hey Icey," Chase greeted, dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and jeans.

"Hi. Why didn't you knock? It's really rude, you know!" Icera said teasingly.

"Just couldn't wait. You're not gonna blame me for it, are you? C'mon, let's go," Chase replied, extending his hand very much like Reid did the day before.

Icera stood up from her chair and holding Chase's proffered hand, walked out with him. She quickly locked the door and walked, chatting.

"You know, I've got a new car," Chase said excitedly.

"Seriously? What make is it?" Icera asked.

"A silver Honda Civic," Chase replied cheerfully.

"Icera?" a voice said.

Icera turned around and saw Reid and Caleb. Caleb seemed to be looking at anywhere at the scene before his eyes, while Reid was glaring at Chase's and Icera's hands.

"Oh hell," Chase muttered, looking at Caleb venomously.

"He made me tell by Using," Caleb said, finally looking at Chase.

"Pope, it's war. I swear, it's going to be war," Reid said furiously.

"Reid, what's up with you?" Caleb asked, rolling his eyes.

"He's a murderer. He nearly destroyed us," Reid snarled.

"Why don't you just forgive? Maybe you won't forget, but can't you just _forgive_?" Chase glowered.

"Chase, Reid, can you just… shut up? I don't get why you'd fight over me. I'm just an ordinary girl who, somehow, got involved with you guys. And I can choose whom I like," Icera snapped.

Chase and Reid both looked sheepish. They did not look at each other anymore, but rather at the ground. Caleb, meanwhile, looked rather grateful as he stared at the ground.

"Let's go," Icera said quietly, pulling at Chase's hand.

Chase was especially subdued as he walked. "Sorry. I mean really, I'm sorry. Nothing would ever make you snap like that. I know you hate complexity. But I added on to the complications of all this."

"It's okay. But our date isn't ruined, is it?" smiled Icera.

"Yeah. C'mon, it's already eight-thirty!" Chase said brightly.

The pair ran out to the school porch and there was parked a brand-new silver Honda Civic. They got into the car and Chase started the engine.

"Do you remember the very first time we met?" Chase asked.

"Now that you mention it, why wouldn't I remember?" Icera replied.

---  
**10 November 1993**  
---

A little girl of four sat crying beside a tall ash tree, the tallest along the road. Leaves fell all around her and upon her head, but she did not care. She only wanted to sob her little heart out.

Soon, she felt a slight pressure on her head. She looked up and saw a boy with naturally spiky blond hair who seemed about a year older than her, picking a few leaves out of her long black hair. The boy sat down beside her and looked at her curiously.

"Why are you crying?" the boy asked kindly.

"My puppy died!" wailed the girl.

"I have two puppies. Do you want to see them?" the boy asked, standing up.

"Really?" the girl asked, her tears flowing no more.

"Yeah! I named them Choc and Chip!" the boy said excitedly, taking the girl's hand and waiting for her to stand.

"My puppy was called Cookie," the girl said as she, too, stood up and began to walk with the boy.

"What's your name? My name's Chase Collins," the boy beamed.

"I'm Icera Williams," the girl replied shyly.

The two young children walked to Chase's house, which was just in the next street. It was a large manor with large gardens. Two labrador puppies, one black and one brown, ran about in the front garden. A man sat on a bench in the garden, reading a newspaper.

"Daddy!" Chase called.

The man put down his paper and nodded to his son. Seeing Icera next to him, grasping his hand tightly, he asked, "Who may your young friend be?"

"I'm Icera Williams, Mr Collins," Icera answered.

"Is your father Marcus Williams?" Arthur Collins inquired.

"Yes, sir," Icera said brightly.

"Well. Go along and play," Mr Collins said, standing up and entering the house while he left the newspaper on the bench.

The children raced each other to the garden, and there they ran about with the puppies. They played energetically, and Icera forgot her past sadness. As they ran and played, a car pulled over in front of the manor and a man stepped out of it. Icera knew the man as her father and called out to him.

"Icera! You must be Chase?" Mr Williams said as he carried his daughter and turned to Chase.

"Yes, sir," Chase said politely.

"Hm. Run along. We'll go home later," Mr Williams said, putting his daughter down.

Again the two children raced each other to play. Time flew by and soon it was sundown. Rays of the setting sun spread out over the land, and Mr Williams was walking out of the Collins manor. Icera had no desire at all to leave Chase and the two puppies, and was quite ready to cry as she climbed into the car. Noticing this, Chase picked up Choc, the brown puppy, and walked quickly but carefully to Icera who had not yet closed the car door.

"Here, Choc's for you. Please come again," Chase said.

Icera looked hopefully at her father, and he nodded. Icera scooped up Choc in her hands and her face broke out in a smile.

"Bye. See you again!" Chase said, waving.

"Bye!" Icera said, waving enthusiastically.

The two children waved frantically to one another until the car moved out of sight.

---

"I still remember how sad you were," laughed Chase.

"Hey, I was only four then!" protested Icera with a grin.

"Well, you were really pretty as a child then," Chase said.

"And you were a cute kid. And you became my best friend. Boys I knew would just tease me just because I cried," Icera said, squeezing Chase's hand.

"Oh, just a friend?" Chase teased, as he played with Icera's hair.

"Watch the road when you drive!" Icera scolded, but she was smiling brightly.

"So am I just a friend?" Chase asked curiously.

"Well, a boyfriend," Icera beamed.

Chase seemed satisfied then, and continued the drive in pleasurable silence. He was euphoric, in fact it was a feeling that no amount of Using could bring. Soon, they came to a beach where there were a few families playing in the sun. There was a yacht in the sea and a couple of kids swinmming near the shore, but there was no more.

They pulled over at a spot where it would not be easily dirtied by sand and falling leaves, and they got out of the car. Chase took a large case from the car boot. Icera followed Chase to the yacht harbour, and Chase called out to a short man in the office.

"Norman!"

"Mr Collins, yes, your yacht..." Norman muttered.

He walked out of the office and to a pocket cruiser. Chase got up first, and taking Icera's hand, helped to pull her up. The yacht was then launched. Icera felt the waves whipping up at her feet, and leisurely speed at which the yacht was moving,

"Icera, breakfast. It's like, nine-fifteen," Chase said, as he lay out a folding table and two chairs and put out two plates of sandwiches with two cups of orange juice. Icera was strongly reminded of the disastrous date of the day before, but she commanded herself not to think about it. What she would do now was enjoy her time with Chase. She walked over to the table, sat down and took a bite into her sandwich.

"You know, I just remembered something," Chase said suddenly.

"Yeah?" Icera said.

"Your fifteenth birthday," Chase answered, with a broad smile.

---  
**20 March 2004**  
---

A fifteen-year-old girl walked as quickly as she could through the crowd. She wished she had not invited so many people to her birthday party. Leaning against the table was a tall sixteen year old boy with spiky blond hair, who looked extremely bored. She smiled and walked over even faster.

"Enjoying the party?" she asked.

"Not really... I don't know anyone here. Except you," Chase replied, with a small smile.

"I thought you knew Xavier, Sandra, Christie, Zach... don't they attend your school?" Icera asked.

"Well, I don't really know them. They're just people I know by name and face. That's it. You're the only one I really know. Want to dance?" Chase asked, as a fast song came on.

"Yeah, okay," Icera answerered cheerily.

Icera pressed close to Chase with the crowd pushing her, and she felt her face go red. She had not felt that way when she was dancing with others. Only him. Chase smiled at her, pressing his face into her hair.

As the song ended, Icera felt Chase's lips smashing into hers. It came as a surprise to Icera. She had not expected _that_. And well, he was good. To her, it was really good as a first kiss. They broke apart only when they realised that there were people staring and mutttering. But they did not care, though both resisted the urge to kiss again.

---

Icera giggled, "You were good."

"Oh, so were you," teased Chase.

Icera felt her face go red, but it was not unpleasant. She had just finished her sandwich, and she walked out, staring at the sea. The mid-morning sun was high in the azure sky now, and it shone on her skin. She enjoyed its warmth, before, chase walked behind her and held her around the waist. She leaned back against him, feeling secure.

"I'm feeling kinda sleepy," she whispered.

"Go to sleep then, in the cabin. I won't disturb you," Chase said quietly.

Icera turned and stared into Chase's eyes, daring him to look into her thoughts, into her soul, and he did.

"You've been a very bad girl," Chase said, surprised.

"Tell me truthfully, have you ever been a bad boy before? You have, haven't you?" Icera teased.

"What can I say?" Chase smiled.

-

Chase drove carefully along the road, aware that it was nine. He was driving back to Ipswich and there were another twenty minutes before they would reach Spenser. He turned his head and smiled at Icera.

"Thanks for such a great day," Icera said.

Chase chuckled, "Well, you're welcome."

"Do you think we should tell the rest?" asked Icera uncertainly, a worried look on her face.

"Tell who what?" Chase asked.

"The others in the Covenant. That I'm your girlfriend," Icera replied.

"Oh, they'll take it well. Maybe Reid won't, but it'll be okay," Chase assured her.

Icera smiled, reassured. She to enjoy the silence of the night, and Chase respected it. Soon, they reached the school. Chase parked the car and walked out, followed by Icera. Chase's eyes flashed fire and and the gate unlocked.

"Come on!" Chase huffed.

Both ran to the main door and again Chase Used to unlock the door. They ran up to the living quarters as quickly and silently as possible. Finally, they reached Icera's dorm.

"So, goodnight," Icera smiled.

"Yeah," Chase smiled, and he leaned in to Icera, his lips pressing into hers. Icera closed her eyes, savouring the moment.

"Goodnight," Icera said playfully, breaking away from Chase and disappearing into her dorm room.

**So how was it? Please review! Comments, constructive criticisms, anything, thanks!**


	8. A Piece of News

**Alright, this is one of the shorter chapters; it's a bit of a prelude to the next chapter. And this will be the last chapter before my exams next Monday. So no updates next week, but anyway please review!**

Reid walked silently into class. It was extremely unnatural of him, as he would usually be the one to keep up a steady flow of conversation while walking into class. Pogue, Kate and Sarah walked in front of him, while Caleb and Tyler walked on either side of him. There were just a couple of minutes left to the bell and Tyler would usually be muttering under his breath about how late they were, but this time, they let Reid take his time.

This new, quiet, but quick-tempered Reid was hard to live with. Chase and Icera were not with the group, as they had decided to go to classes separately from them, but this seemed to make Reid even more bad-tempered. He was incredibly jealous of Chase, and Icera… well, she was the first girl that he really liked. And now she rejected him. He just could not accept it.

The other three Sons decided, after a short mental conference, to sit with Reid to keep an eye on him. Reid easily lost control of his Power and in his new state, would be even quicker to Use than normal. The class was about four-fifths packed, and it was rather hard to find a group of seats in fours – Sarah and Kate had decided to sit away from their boyfriends.

Reid had begun to skulk away, but Tyler had restrained him while Caleb searched for seats in fours. Sarah and Kate, meanwhile, had already found themselves seats. Finally, Pogue pointed out a row of seven seats with only two people seated there. The group made their way there, but Reid had been extremely unwilling. Caleb rolled his eyes at this, but Reid refused to say what exactly the matter was, until a familiar laugh reached their ears.

Caleb, Pogue and Tyler turned to see that the two people who were sitting in their row were Chase and Icera. Icera had been laughing at a good joke Chase had made and stopped mid-giggle when she turned to see the four Sons of Ipswich behind her. Reid sat next to her.

"Hi guys," Icera smiled.

"Hey Icera," Reid said dispassionately.

The other three Sons of Ipswich exchanged glances. Those were the first coherent words they had heard Reid say that morning. That morning, he merely grunted and nodded whenever his friends tried to talk to him.

"Good morning to you guys," Tyler said cheerfully.

"Yeah.. Um, I'd like to make a little announcement… I'm officially dating Chase," Icera said carefully.

At that instant, Reid dropped his pen. He picked it up hastily and fell silent. He was stormy-faced, and no one dared to speak to him anymore. Reid just glared miserably at Icera, who felt uncomfortable.

"Reid, just give up," muttered Tyler.

"I won't," Reid said, now turning his cold gaze onto Tyler.

"Man, you gotta listen to me!" Tyler said.

Reid merely stared at him. Tyler could tell that he was struggling to control himself and be careful of Using in public. Tyler decided to discuss the matter with Caleb as Reid turned to glare at his pen as though it were Chase.

"You should talk to him," Tyler sighed, shaking his head.

"Honestly, either it's just me or you're actually trying to destroy the Danvers bloodline. You know Reid, his temper is just not to be messed with, especially at a time like this," retorted Caleb.

"Nothing we can do, then?" Tyler said.

"Nothing for the time being," Caleb agreed.

When the lesson started, Reid sat looking at the blackboard blankly, understanding nothing. Tyler found this unsurprising – Reid had to find a way to fool the teacher into thinking that he was paying attention. At least, this showed that Reid was still able to think clearly when it did not concern Icera.

Tyler thought that it was an encouraging sign that Reid was slowly coming to terms with the fact that Icera would never choose him. However, he failed to detect the small smile on Reid's face.

"Did you really think I'd give up? Idiots," he smirked.

**Well, how was this? I love all of you reviewers! And about reviewers here's replying a couple of the reviewers for the previous chapter.**

**superdani152003: **I kind of wanted to get the message across that Chase and Icera already had a relationship before the movie, and now it's like they're continuing the relationship. Guess I didn't do that too well. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope this chapter was good!

**Sarah**: Hey girl, great that you like my fic. I will definitely write more about the other Sons of Ipswich, don't worry:)


	9. Flirtation and Contrition

**Oh my God, I think it's been WAY close to a month since I updated! Let's just say I had to deal with exams, poor exam results for easy papers and school during a one-week school break (which sucked, really). I swear to update as regularly as possible now that my life is pretty much back to normal. Old disclaimer, everyone knows it. So enjoy for now!**

Icera stood outside the boys' locker room, intensely aware of some of the swimmers checking her out. She glared at those swimmers, but as soon as she looked away, they would be looking at her again.

"What the hell were they thinking, to make me wait like this?" she muttered, tugging at a loose thread on her tank top.

"Did you wait long?" a voice asked from behind her.

Icera turned and found herself facing Reid, whose hand was placed on her waist. She chuckled, to her own surprise. However, she could not stop herself.

"Reid! Stop it!" Icera said, swatting away Reid's hand playfully.

Encouraged by her action, Reid twirled her around, laughing, "I don't really want to stop. Do you?"

Icera stepped away and replied tersely, "Reid, you know you should give up..."

"But I don't want to give up. I don't care if the guy you love is Chase. I'm not going to give up," Reid said, the playfulness in his voice now replaced by a subtle seriousness.

"They tell me that you're never serious when it comes to relationships," Icera said, growing uncomfortable at Reid's unwavering gaze.

"Not now. I'm serious about you, I swear. And if you really wanted me to give up, why were you flirting with me?" asked Reid.

The question left Icera speechless. He had a point - why _was_ she flirting with him? She searched inside herself for the answer. She did not like him, did she?

"I - I don't know," Icera said, not meeting Reid's eyes.

Reid went up to Icera and kissed her - on the mouth, without her permission. She was taken aback - what was he thinking? However, there was a part of her that felt like breaking away at once and another part of her that felt like continuing the kiss until either one of them chose to pull away.

Finally, Icera made the decision to break apart. She shook her head, her lip quivering as she said, "I can't do this. Not to Chase. I _can't_."

_You liked that, didn't you? Give me a chance._ Reid said mentally, his eyes flashing fire.

He smirked, stepping back and leaned against the wall. Icera did the same, far enough from him. She was confused and shocked over her own feelings about Reid and his act. And well, she had to admit - that kiss was pretty good.

She flushed in embarrassment, when her train of thought was broken by Chase's voice. "Hey Icera."

Icera smiled upon seeing Chase, whose lips brushed against her neck. His cheerfulness was contrasted, however, by the stormy looks on the other four Sons' faces. Tyler muttered quickly to Reid, whose eyes widened in anger.

"What do you _mean _they are pissed off because of me?" Reid asked loudly, attracting stares from others in the vicinity.

"We'll talk later. Outside," Caleb said, his expression hardened.

Reid folded his arms, his face taking on an expression not unlike the others'. An awkward silence hung in the air, until Icera asked, "Where are we going, exactly?"

"Nicky's. We're picking up Sarah and Kate first, though," Pogue responded.

Before long, the group had made their way to the girls' dorm and Pogue knocked on the door. Kate answered the door, beaming at her boyfriend. Sarah jumped up from her bed when she saw that it was the Sons who had come. As they looked over the group, they tensed up at the sight of Chase.

Icera had always observed that whenever the two were near Chase, they would become a little nervous. This time was no different. As the two girls walked out of the room, they chose to stick by their boyfriends, far enough from Chase. The group walked together, while Sarah and Kate chatted with their boyfriends.

Soon they reached the school porch and Caleb said, "We'll take Tyler's Hummer. You girls can take my car. Chase, you should come along with us."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"It's a Covenant kind of thing," Caleb replied shortly, heading towards Tyler's car.

The other Sons followed suit, with Chase walking grudgingly. Sarah, Kate and Icera walked in the opposite direction, to Caleb's car. Icera looked back at Chase with a small smile, who returned the look. Sarah drove, while Kate sat beside her and Icera sat in the back passenger seat, contemplating her thoughts about Chase and Reid.

"Icera? You okay?" Kate asked in a concerned tone.

Icera looked up and replied hastily, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little tired."

"I see. By the way, why do you like Chase so much?" Kate questioned.

"To me, he's smart and charming. Oh, and above all, he's essentially a good person, even if he has done some wrong before," Icera smiled, her face lighting up at the mere mention of Chase.

"He tried to kill us, you know," Sarah commented, surprised at Icera's description of her boyfriend.

"It wasn't entirely his fault! He only wanted his ancestor's banishment to be justified! Except that he did it the wrong way, but still... Well, you get what I mean," Icera snapped, ready to defend Chase.

"Alright, cool it!" Kate said, rolling her eyes.

Icera looked outside the window miserably, her thoughts back to Chase and Reid. The two girls at the front exchanged glances, shrugging their shoulders and began to talk of the other Sons of Ipswich. Icera was pleased at being left alone and paid no attention to the conversation until Sarah asked curiously, "Icera, do you like Reid?"

"What? Why would I?" Icera responded quickly.

"You were looking at Reid whenever Chase wasn't paying attention to you. And your response just now was a tad too fast. That has definitely got to mean _something_," laughed Sarah.

Icera looked down at her lap, then began, "Well... This was what happened..."

As the girls listened with increasing interest, they were left speechless a few moments after Icera was done relating the incident until Kate remarked, "Wow, it has got to be really hard, huh? Liking two guys at once is tough, and even tougher when the guys in question like you too."

"Yeah..." Icera sighed. "And please don't tell anyone, especially the Sons. Not even Caleb and Pogue. I don't want them to find out... at least not through the two of you."

"Promised!" Sarah said, while Kate nodded, both girls laughing.

* * *

Reid sat back in the front passenger seat, for once letting Tyler drive. At the back, Caleb sat in between Chase and Pogue. Chase was glaring at Reid. 

"So tell me. Why are you guys so pissed at me?" Reid asked, letting his anger show.

"You didn't realize?" Pogue asked dryly.

"What exactly did I do? Care to elaborate on that?" Reid questioned coolly.

"You Used. Using to communicate with others takes away a bit of your life away. You know that the only part of the Power that doesn't drain our life force is the mental ability to read others' minds and to communicate _within_ the Covenant, not _without_. You - " Caleb's impatient explanation was cut off by a furious Chase.

"You Used on Icera!"

At that, Chase seemed ready to throw a punch at Reid, except that in the car, it was too cramped. Using would not solve the problem, of course. He was now breathing heavily to control himself. Reid, who was usually ready to hit back with a sharp retort, was left speechless for once.

"I know she flirted with you and you flirted with her right back... But you didn't have to Use on her. And you didn't have to -" Chase stopped, for the next word was too painful for him to say.

"He knows. In fact we all know. We all saw you kiss her, except that neither of you knew that we were watching you," Tyler continued for Chase, who was staring at the scenery which seemed to be as bleak as his feelings - it was dark, and the skies had gathered into ominous grey clouds.

"Sorry," Reid said in a barely audible voice.

The rest, even Chase, turned to stare at him. Tyler stopped the car to look at Reid in amazement. The other four had always known Reid to be tough and he never admitted that he had done wrong, except for a couple of times when his rashness had caused them to be in pretty deep trouble, though never threatening the Covenant.

"I'm sorry. I just found it hard to give up. I was behaving like an idiot," Reid said quietly. "And I shouldn't have Used. I don't want to die before I'm thirty or something too."

The rest chuckled at his jest. "C'mon, let's go to Nicky's quickly or we'll be late," Caleb said, after a short laugh.

The car's engine started, and the car drove off into the distance, towards Nicky's. Inside, the boys talked and laughed, almost without a care in the world.

**So I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! And I promise I'm not gonna be so late anymore. I will NOT give up on this story, no matter how tough the going gets. Your reviews are my motivation! So yeah... :D**


	10. Third In Line

**Sorry to make you guys wait for a couple of weeks! I encountered writer's block while writing this, but I think the result should be okay, right? By the way, the title refers to Pogue's Ascension and all four boys' Ascensions are quite important to the plot of the story. Same old disclaimer that everyone knows, enjoy! **

Pogue leaned back against his locker and gazed out of the window. His locker - and the other Sons of Ipswich's lockers- happened to be nearest to the window in that particular hallway, thus giving them a clear view of the weather every time they went to their lockers. Normally the weather would not interest them, but this time, it was different. He smiled as that day's date rebounded in his mind, along with another word: 'Ascension'.

Pogue Parry was third in line for Ascension and today, it was finally his turn. His smile became even wider as he looked out of the window. It was raining heavily and lightning streaked across the sky. Whenever it was any one of the Sons' eighteenth birthday - past or present - there would either be heavy rain for the whole day or a storm when it was nearing the hour of the Son's Ascension. It was a sign of that day's event, although only the Covenant members - and whoever else knew about the Power - knew.

"Hey Pogue," a voice called.

Pogue whipped his head around and saw Kate running towards him with a paper bag in her hand. When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck - much to the displeasure of Pogue's many fans, who stood nearby - and kissed her boyfriend quickly.

"Happy birthday to my favourite Son of Ipswich," Kate beamed.

"Thanks," Pogue said, with a chuckle.

"I got you this. I'm sure you'll like it. I even asked all the other boys," Kate said, handing the paper bag to Pogue.

Pogue peered inside and let out a gasp of surprise. Inside the bag was a black jacket, suitable for a rough ride on his bike.

"So? How do you like it?" Kate asked, laughing.

"This jacket beats the old one any time. Thanks, baby," Pogue answered, leaning in to kiss Kate.

They stopped when they heard the voices of the other Covenant boys and Icera behind them. As Kate spotted Chase walking alongside Reid, she found that she did not feel tense anymore whenever Chase was nearby. Also, Pogue did not, as usual, suddenly turn cold and indifferent, like he had been whenever he saw Chase. She guessed it was because of the night before.

Chase was extremely close to Icera and everything that Chase did seemed to be for Icera. When he was playing foosball or pool with the other guys - who had apparently warmed up to him too, at last - he would look back at Icera every other moment. It was evident that there was a lot of mutual trust between them, which was what, as both Sarah and Kate guessed, made their relationship so strong. Even her own relationshp with Pogue had not been so strong before the 'Chase Incident' weeks ago.

She snapped out of her reverie when she noticed that the boys' voices were getting louder. Caleb had a half-smile on his face, while the rest were joking around and grinning.

"Happy birthday, man," Caleb said when he reached the pair and gave Pogue a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Hey buddy. Hope you're ready for tonight," Reid smirked.

"Not so loud. Anyway, happy birthday to you. Soon I'll be eighteen too," Tyler smiled rather wistfully.

"Morning, Pogue. Um, happy eighteenth birthday," Icera said with a cheery smile.

"Hi Pogue. Happy birthday," Chase said in a friendly tone.

"Thanks guys. So where are we... celebrating tonight?" Pogue asked.

"The barn - or more accurately, what's left if it, I guess. We can't risk it at Gorman's. Last time I visited him, he said that a couple of people had complained about screams that evening," Caleb said, shaking his head.

Reid rolled his eyes as Tyler laughed, his face turning a pale pink. That night he had completely lost his bad-boy persona and had screamed like hell. Occasionally, Tyler would make an accident-on-purpose joke about that particular evening and sometimes the other guys would join in the teasing.

"Whatever," Reid said coolly, his eyes narrowing.

Chase gazed out of the window, thinking about the barn he had ruined. Inside lay a secret that not even Icera knew. In fact, it was a secret that nobody else but him could know...

"Hey Chase. You okay?" Icera asked softly, touching him lightly on his arm.

Chase turned back and with a weak smile, nodded quickly. He was relieved to find out that except for Icera, nobody else was paying any attention to him. She could sense his troubles before anyone else could and normally he would tell her exactly what was troubling him, but this time it was different. He could not risk her knowing his secret.

As the bell rang for the first lesson, he sighed as he made his way with the others to the classrooms. He was utterly alone in carrying the burden of his secret.

* * *

It was already six by the time swim team practice had ended and Pogue's Ascension loomed. He would Ascend at nineteen minutes to seven, which left them only about forty minutes to get ready and drive. It would take about fifteen minutes to drive to the barn, which meant that the whole group, consisting of the five Sons of Ipswich, Icera, Sarah and Kate, had only twenty-five minutes to change and perhaps have a quick snack. 

With a little Using on Reid's and Tyler's parts, to Caleb's displeasure, the group was able to dress and eat something in under twenty minutes. Pogue decided to ride his bike to the barn while the rest - the guys in Tyler's Hummer and the girls in Caleb's car - would reach the barn only a little later than he. Due to the arrangement, the group reached the barn five minutes before the exact minute of Ascension.

Caleb gritted his teeth as he waited, although Pogue was more impatient than anyone else, pacing the ground. The rain beat down upon the barn's roof, which had not been as badly destroyed as the rest of the barn during the fight weeks ago. The others stood at an area where it was most sheltered, though they still got a little wet. Without warning, a bolt of lightning struck the roof, creating a hole with a charred outline in it.

Pogue looked heavenward expectantly. Through the hole created, more rain poured in and yet another lightning bolt crashed into the barn, striking Pogue. This was it - the moment of Ascension. He rose into the air with a scream. Ropes of Power, weaved into thin streaks of lightning, hit him. They lashed relentlessly at his body, but they flowed smoothly into him.

Pogue felt a strange swirl of emotions in him as he was in the air, rain thoroughly wetting his body. Euphoria, anger, fear and pain all shot through him. However, he felt euphoria and pain most strongly. As the Power broke into his skin and joined his blood, he could feel the Power coursing in every vein, bound to him forever. A great joy welled up in him alongside the pain - the kind that he felt whenever he Used.

Just a few feet below him, Kate's single shout of mixed concern and terror sounded distant. Strangely, he felt barely aware of his friends. It was as though they merely existed and meant nothing to him. A sole thought pushed into his mind, battling the Power's control - he had to master the Power, not succumb to it. Unlike some of his his ancestors and others who had previously been members of the Covenant, he would not become a slave to the Power.

As suddenly as the Ascension had begun, the Ascension ended with an unexpected final watery, translucent streak of Power hitting his body. Pogue collapsed on the ground in a heap. He was exhausted from the ordeal, and he closed his eyes tightly in great terror. He could feel water around him and he feared that if he opened his eyes, he would see only two black orbs staring back at him.

"Open your eyes, man, c' mon..." Caleb called out in a worried tone.

Not daring to face the puddles of water, he opened his eyes and stared at his friends. They studied him for a moment, their faces carrying grave expressions. Kate's eyes brimmed with tears, although her face carried a hint of a smile. She ran over to her boyfriend, biting her lip nervously.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, really, except that I feel a little weak. Tell me, are my eyes black?" Pogue asked after a moment, even more anxiously.

"Well, look into the water, won't you?" Kate said , chuckling.

Pogue looked down into the puddles of rainwater. He nearly laughed, along with the rest, when he realised that his eyes were his natural green and not black, as he had been afraid of. He was thankful that he had controlled the Power this time around. He stood up unsteadily and walked up to his friends.

"Are you really okay? You look like you need a good rest," Reid remarked.

"Well... I think I'll have to skip tonight's celebration. Trust me, I won't fall off my bike or anything," Pogue responded with a weak laugh.

"Guess so. Hey, Chase, aren't you coming?" Caleb asked, as he noticed Chase staring up at the roof.

"I want to stay here for a while. Don't ask why," replied Chase.

"Whatever you say, I suppose... Let's go, guys," Caleb said, walking out behind Pogue and Kate.

"Icera, go too. I really need to be alone. I'll meet you at Nicky's, okay?" Chase said softly, turning back when he noticed that Icera stood beside him.

Icera turned and walked out reluctantly, giving Chase a worried look. Chase smiled gently at her, and she finally left with a light heart. There was a sudden, blinding flash of light as Chase resumed his staring. The light did not blind him, but instead he gritted his teeth furiously.

The light turned into a translucent mass that looked not unlike Power. It slowly took the form of a man with straggly hair and a bony frame. As the ghostlike form of the man became more distinct, one could see his hollowed cheeks and distinctly dark eyes. He wore ragged clothing, torn and splashed with black on the back. However, that was not the most frightening part of him. His eyes bore a cruel gleam and his lips were curved in a menacing smile. He opened his mouth to speak and the voice that came out from his throat sounded sinister and unctuous at the same time.

"You have answered my call, young one."

**That's it for this chapter! And trust me, you will find out who this ghost guy is. Maybe it's kinda obvious, but I promise that the next chapter will come up pretty soon, in less than a week's time. And review, please! **


	11. Confronting His Past

**Ok, here's chapter 11 as promised!!! Actually, I had planned to update on Thursday since it was my birthday then, but due to time constraints, I could not do so on that day. Same old disclaimer, everyone knows, and enjoy!**

"_You have answered my call, young one_."

Chase glared savagely at the ghost-man who floated in front of him. As frail as his ghostly body looked, Chase knew that John Putnam was strong and capable of great Using. He had had seven times the Power than normal, which was as much Power as the rest of the current Covenant had combined.

"I came here to tell you that I'm not going to be your slave anymore. You used me in your quest for revenge. But not any longer," Chase said coldly.

"Are you sure, child? That is a decision which you are about to regret," Putnam said with a loud chuckle, his eyes flashing fire.

Chase suddenly felt himself weakened as he felt a little of his life being drained away from him. He gasped breathlessly, and with effort, looked at Putnam who seemed extremely pleased with himself.

"Why are you doing this to me? You tricked me with lies and I fell for it. And I nearly ruined the Covenant, in my clouded state of mind. I only believed you because I was in distress over my true identity, my true family history. _Why_?" Chase asked hoarsely.

"Lies, you say? _Lies_? Was it not true that I was banished from the Covenant? Was it not true that I was beaten to death?" Putnam responded, his ire rising.

"True... but you _deserved_ it. You said that you wanted to help the Covenant, which you claimed to betray you. Instead you nearly destroyed them. You wanted to expose _them_ but be blameless and then gain more power. You said that you were beaten for crimes you did not commit. But you did. Agnes Pope did no wrong by reporting you," replied Chase, his voice becoming stronger.

"No wrong? Why, you do not know the situation. But then, you are but an eighteen-year-old..." responded Putnam, a touch of hysteria in his voice.

"You said it yourself, I'm only eighteen. So release me from the the curse you put on me," Chase smirked.

"I bound you with magic that day so you would remain loyal. Every time you choose to defy me will be considered Using, for you are acting against the Power as I am what I am only through Using. Why should I release you from your binds? I would still need your service," Putnam laughed cruelly.

"Given a choice, I would much rather not have the Power. I would rather be a Collins all my life... even if I grew up not knowing what the Power truly was," Chase said, looking away from Putnam.

"Really? If you did not have the Power, if you were not a Son of Ipswich, if you were just an ordinary boy, your beloved Icera Williams would have died a long time ago," Putnam said coolly.

Realization struck Chase like a bolt of lightning - it was true. He and Icera often went out to the forest and sometimes they would have accidents, and the worst was when Icera had nearly drowned in a lake in the forest. They had also gotten into some road accidents before, and every time they sustained only minor injuries at most due to Chase's Using. He had no idea what would happen if he did not have the Power, which undoubtedly made life a lot safer and easier for him.

"So? Do you still want the Power?" asked Putnam.

Chase nodded slowly as he stared down at the ground. He couldn't lie when it came to this matter, even though he knew that Putnam had, in death, almost lost the ability of telepathy completely. He was able to talk to someone mentally if he really needed, or wanted, to. However, he was totally unable to read minds and detect lies unless one openly showed deceit. Yet, he could Use freely in death without the complications of Using in life after Ascension.

Chase was stuck between the choice of remaining as a slave of Putnam's, only to die later and be hated by all, or be free but to die too soon to enjoy life unbound to Putnam's curse. He searched for a way to be 'in between', and he found it faster than he expected. However, he would have to lie to both the Covenant, which had completely accepted him as a member of the Covenant, and Putnam. He decided to simply taunt Putnam and see how it went.

"Speak, child! Why do you stay silent?" Putnam demanded.

Plastering on a smirk, he said, "Kill me if you wish. It's not going to benefit you anyway."

"Why would that be so?" hissed Putnam.

"I don't have a son yet. By killing me, the Pope bloodline will be forever banished. And the rest of the Covenant have more Power than you can imagine. This generation's Sons of Ipswich are stronger than ever before. They could defeat you in a heartbeat," Chase responded, half-lying.

"I know you deceive me by the look on your face... but I can feel their strength, even now. They do not have as much Power as me, but you could come in handy. And I'd rather that you have a son so I can have the revenge I've been waiting for," Putnam said, hitching the smile back on his scarred face.

Chase gave a small smile. Putnam had fallen for his trick. That was only the first step of his plan - stay alive. His plan was to save the rest and redeem himself. His fate - and the others ' - would depend on if his plan succeeded in full. Right now, he wanted to turn back and go, but the problem was that there was an invisible barrier constructed by Putnam preventing him from leaving the barn until Putnam removed it.

"Do you remember our first meeting, child?" Putnam asked suddenly.

Chase gave a curt nod. He could remember it as though it were yesterday. He had just discovered his real identity - he was a Pope, not a Collins - and was angry and distressed. He had been extremely confused over who he really was and he wanted to know if being a Pope had, somehow, anything to do with his Power. He had run out to the forest in order to calm himself, but there was a storm. The nearest shelter happened to be the Putnam barn and he had sought shelter in it - which was where Putnam first appeared to him. He had been so frightened that he wanted to run out, but Putnam calmed him with soothing lies. He had answered some of Chase's questions and told him to seek his father. Then, before he left, he had bound Chase with his spell. It was then Chase changed for worse.

"You made me cruel and unfeeling, but Icera changed me. She changed me for the better. I had been a slave of yours that blindly did your bidding. Meeting Icera again opened my eyes. Now you don't truly control me. I am my own master," smiled Chase, savouring the words in his mouth. Now Putnam would know how he truly felt - deceit was not an option.

"How dare you! You are a fool to oppose me like this. Death will come soon for all of you. That you can be assured of," snarled Putnam.

"I thought you said that you would rather I continue the bloodline," Chase said, trapping Putnam in his own argument.

"That... that is... of little consequence," Putnam said, tongue-tied.

"If you kill me anyway, I'll die as a true Son of Ipswich. You can't control me. You contradict yourself. First you say you wouldn't want me to die without a heir. Then you say you wish me to die," Chase continued.

Heat emanated from Putnam's shostly body as he summoned Power. His translucent eyes became totally black and opaque, and he loosed Power strong enough to fling Chase into the wall. Putnam looked self-satisfied. Chase's own eyes flashed black as he stood up a little shakily. Putnam let out a cry as his body dissipated, though the fragments gathered again to become one whole.

"Begone with you. I will deal with you another time," Putnam panted, vanishing completely.

Chase dropped to his knees, wanting to shout out all his fear, sorrow and rage. He had put on a brave front when it came to Putnam, but now he felt weak and defenseless. He could not delude himself that everything would be alright. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he felt lost and alone. Just then, however, a voice spoke. When Chase turned back, he let out a gasp. The figure, who stood silhouetted against the lightning of the storm, gave a half-smile.

"You're not alone."

**Right, a little short but I promise the next chapter will be good. I have it all planned out. And please review!!! Could be my birthday present. XD I'll update as soon as possible!**


	12. An Unexpected Ally

**Sorry for the REALLY long wait! It's been 3 weeks or so! Sorry! Maybe this chapter is going to make you guys sort-of hate me, but well, just enjoy for now. And the next chapter will be up in about a week and a half time's, earliest, due to the fact that I'm having my week-long mid-year examinations, starting tomorrow. Oh, and same old disclaimer. Enjoy.**

The half-smile became a familiar smirk - one that exhibited daring and impulsiveness. Then _he_ stepped forward, revealing his face. Chase had already known, though. Reid Garwin. _Reid_, of all people. The one who had competed with him for Icera, the one who hated him to the core, probably the one who was everything negative he could think of. Chase, who had been kneeling, stood up in a proud manner.

"You don't look too happy to see me," Reid remarked coolly, his arms folded.

"Why are you here? What do you know?" Chase asked harshly.

"I know whatever I've heard. I guess there are some things I don't know, but they probably aren't all that important. As for why I'm here, I was curious _and_ I wanted to know what you were up to, in case it threatens the existence of the Covenant. Caleb and I nearly Used on each other, but they sort of dragged him away after seeing how weak Pogue looked. Icera wanted to stay too, but I didn't let her. The woods aren't exactly safe at night," Reid replied.

"Thank God you talked her out of staying. I don't want her to know about this," sighed Chase. "With Putnam around, everything is just too dangerous."

"Hey, can't we just go on the offensive? Five to one, we'd beat him any day," Reid said, losing the indifference in his voice.

"What you _didn't _hear is important. Firstly, he too has seven times the Power. Don't give me that look - I don't know how he manages to contain all that Power in his... blood or something. He's a ghost and all, so you get the point. We're equally matched in that aspect and that doesn't help. Secondly, it's all the more unfair to us as he has had Power for three hundred years and he can manipulate it anyhow. But we can't, seeing as we've had the Power for only five years. And Tyler's hasn't even fully matured yet," Chase explained, exasperated with Reid.

"Oh yeah. But if we work together - if you want to - then I suppose we _could_ defeat Putnam. I mean, five to one has got to be our advantage. You know what they say, there's safety in numbers," Reid maintained.

"Even so, it's only one of our two advantages - the other one is our telepathy, since we can sense what he's planning while he can't sense what _we_ are planning. And I have my own plan to deal with Putnam," Chase said heavily.

"What is it?" Reid inquired.

"I can't tell you. Not now, anyway," Chase responded sharply.

There was silence between the two then. Chase was looking at Reid with deep suspicion, while Reid was staring at the floor, as though thinking of something. Each seemed to be waiting for the other to speak.

Reid said suddenly, "Hey, I remember something that Caleb told us a few weeks back, after the battle. He said that our Power is mainly fueled by our emotions - our wants and fears, all of that, because we Use for these very reasons, even if we don't know it ourselves. But then, for Putnam - my own theory - he is able to become a ghost because of his single unfulfilled desire to destroy the Covenant. If, by some miracle of sorts, he stops wanting that, he'll cease to exist. Oh, and there have been few records of ghosts of the Sons of Ipswich - they became ghosts only because they had some wish that was unfulfilled while they were alive."

Chase was surprised. He had also thought of that - it was the foundation of his plan to destroy Putnam. "You know... that's the basis for my plan. To make Putnam stop wanting to destroy the Covenant. And to do that... well, I've got to be gone."

"What. You are not going to die in your plan, are you?" Reid said, shocked.

"I have to. It's the only way. Don't try to stop me and don't tell the rest. And that's the only part of my plan you will know. As for the rest, you will know with the rest when the day comes."

"Then what about Icera? Are you going to leave her alone just like that?" Reid asked aggressively.

At this, Chase's pretence of cold impassivity slipped away immediately. His eyes began to well up with tears, but he kept them back. While thinking of his plan he had commanded himself not to think about Icera - but he had. He had not been able to stop himself.

"Look... don't give me that. I did think about her, but..." Chase's voice trailed off and he merely shook his head.

"How could you do that?" Reid said angrily, his eyes darkening and a small ball of Power forming in his palm.

"I didn't want to! But that's the only way we can think of to stop him! To save myself from his curse - to save you guys from dying! I'd give up my life for Icera - you know that," Chase explained fiercely, ignoring the Power in Reid's hand.

The sphere of Power suddenly vanished. Reid's black eyes reverted back to pale blue. "Isn't there any other way? Then... who will take care of Icera?" he questioned softly.

"There could be, but I don't know," Chase said, then looked at Reid in the eye. "And I need you to take care of Icera after I go. You have to help me. I need you to help me to the best extent that you are able, and I feel this is it. But don't tell her. If you agree, I'm begging you to let her be happy. Don't ever make her sad."

"I... I can't do that. I don't love her like you do. I mean, she's starting to be more of a... sister to me. I've thought it through, I've decided to give up on her. The best I can do to protect her like you do is to be a brother figure. That's it," Reid said, after a moment's silence.

"Then you'd better be that, if it's the best you can do," Chase responded.

"Fine, I suppose, if things come to that. But there _has_ got to be another way. I just know there is. I could tell Caleb - you know he's totally okay with you now. He'd protect the Covenant with his life and this is it. He'd be totally willing to help you. We could find a way if we just worked together!" Reid said in a flustered tone.

"Maybe. Just maybe. And as for Caleb... I guess you can. But later. I'll tell you when it's okay to do so," Chase replied, with a half-smile not unlike Reid's when he first discovered that the latter had been spying on him.

"Fine. By the way, I think we'd better get back to Nicky's, or Spenser. It's sorta late by Spenser's curfew standards," Reid smiled confidently.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go," Chase said.

He headed out with his unexpected ally to Caleb's car("I got them to take Tyler's car all together, see?" Reid had explained hastily), reassured and ready to face the possible (though not completely likely) last month of his life.

**hides unders tables Nobody hating me? Hope so. I hope this wasn't too short - sort of had a couple of problems and this was the best I could do for now. I swear to do better for the next chapter. Oh, and it will definitely be happier, I assure you!Well, do remember to review and I'll see you all soon enough!**


	13. Seize The Day

**I know it took me pretty long to update, but anyway enjoy this chapter. Maybe it's a little short, but this chapter closes up the whole 'night of Pogue's Ascension' thing, if you get my drift.I got the title of the chapter by listening to "Seize The Day" by Avenged Sevenfold. It holds a certain meaning for me that I can't exactly put in words. **

**Same old disclaimer that everyone knows. And remember, R and R! Plus, before I forget, do take a look at my friend's Bitchy Princess' Cov fic, Beginnings and Endings. Won't take up your time now. Enjoy!**

Reid walked - alone - into Nicky's. His eyes scanned the room for his friends, and there they were, sitting at two tables near the counter. He sauntered over and with a wide smile, called out, "Hey guys, sorry for being late!"

The group of six turned and looked up to see Reid. Icera was the first to notice Reid and she was also the first to note that Chase was not with Reid. A look of worry crossed her face, though nobody saw - they were too busy paying attention to Reid.

"Where's Chase? Isn't he with you?" Caleb asked.

"Oh, he's tired. Said he'd like to go back to the dorms instead," Reid replied, then glanced across at Icera.

Icera seemed to be looking _through_ him, not at him. Like there was someone behind him. Yet, her eyes held a glazed look. _Probably thinking about Chase_, he thought. Nobody followed his gaze.

"So! Looking good, aren't you, Pogue?" he said, returning his attention to the rest.

Pogue smiled brightly, "Yeah, of course I am. I don't think I screamed like a kid just now."

Reid scowled. "Shut up if you know what's good for you."

Pogue just shrugged with a smirk, and he began to chat with Caleb. Reid seated himself between Tyler and Icera - there really wasn't anywhere else to sit, unless at the next table - and started to laugh and joke with the rest. Kate and Sarah continued their conversation (and from what the others could hear, it was about their boyfriends and shopping, which made Caleb and Pogue grin) while Icera looked lost in her own world.

She kind of was. She knew full well that Chase wasn't tired, he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon - instead he was troubled over something that she didn't know about. She sighed inaudibly. She has a power of her own, a result of a little "experiment" of Chase's gone wrong - or perhaps right.

It had started when she was fourteen. Chase and Icera had been walking back home from a summer camp, tired and a little bruised. Chase, in a bid to help protect Icera from an oncoming car, placed a spell on Icera to prevent the car from hitting her. Except that he had used the wrong spell, though Icera escaped with only a bad cut on her knee.

That wrong spell caused Icera to develop a mental link with Chase. It was one of the olden spells - when one of the Covenant needed to communicate with someone out of the Covenant, or with his son who was not a member of the Covenant yet mentally, but not sapping away their lifespan, this was the one spell they cast to perform the task. This spell was controlled by the one who had cast it. And in this case, it was Chase who controlled just how much they were mentally linked.

Over the years, the mental link had been kept consistently strong, save for two occasions. The first was during the four or five weeks that Chase had been plotting his 'revenge', and the second was now. The telepathy between them was so much a part of their intertwined lives that sometimes, they would forget totally about it.

Icera sighed, a little louder this time. Reid looked briefly at her, then turned back to the rest of the Sons of Ipswich. Now Icera was focusing on trying to understand the wisps of thoughts that she received occasionally from him. She had gathered that he was troubled, but that was all so far.

_Chase?_ she ventured.

No reply. Totally blank. She tried a few more times and each time she got the same result - nothing, save for the last time. The last time she did not get words or even pictures, but instead _emotions_. A mixture of fear and anger. She said no more after that, but instead she focused on working out what was troubling Chase.

"Hey, Icera? You okay?" Reid said.

Jerked from her thoughts, Icera looked up at Reid. What struck her was that there was something _different_ in his voice. But _how_, she couldn't figure that part out. She shook her head and turned away, gazing out at the sea of clubbers. In her mind, she was attempting to answer two questions - the first, what was behind Chase's emotions, the second, why Reid's voice sounded different.

Then realization hit Icera, as she replayed Reid's words in her mind. _That_ was what had been so different. The older-brother kind of tone that she had never heard Reid use around her. Normally he'd be arrogant and confident around her, but now he was so different. No longer Reid the skirt-chaser, but Reid the older brother. _Like Ivan_.

The memory came flooding back to her, like a rogue wave. When she was six, she had caused her older brother's death indirectly. She, Chase and Ivan - her brother - had been playing in their backyard. Ivan had been nine then. Then it had rained, but Icera had insisted on playing anyway. She didn't care. Being only six then, she would not have understood why it would have been dangerous to play in the rain. Ivan had run to a tree, and it was when _it_ happened. Lightning struck the tree - struck him.

The rest had been hazy. Icera couldn't remember clearly - except that Ivan had died a very short while later. She had never been fully forgiven by her parents. Her father had grown cold and distant from her. He never thought of her emotional needs, only the financial stuff. Her mother behaved awkwardly whenever there was a storm. Her eyes welled up with tears. Yet she held back. She didn't want to cry in front of the six friends in front of her.

Then a thought broke through her own. _Icera! You okay?_ Chase's voice asked anxiously.

_Yeah... just that I was thinking about - about Ivan,_ Icera replied in thought.

_You better come back if you don't feel good, _Chase advised.

_Oh, I think I will, pretty soon. _Icera sent.

_And Icera?_

_Yeah?_

_I love you. I'll seize the day. Love you always._

Icera didn't reply. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Chase wasn't one to be mushy. And seize the day? What on earth did that mean?

"Guys, it's nearing curfew time. Better go back," Sarah said suddenly.

Everyone else looked up at her, then agreed to some extent. They - except Icera - stood up and walked out in two groups - the girls and the guys. Icera stood up too, and stayed at the back of the two groups. And as she walked, she suddenly found herself understanding.

_I'll seize the day too._


	14. Another Kind of Trouble

**Okay, chapter 14 at LAST. I'm really, really, REALLY sorry for putting it off for more than a month. I suffered from severe writer's block, and admittedly, I just didn't feel like writing much during the June holidays where I live. But I'll try to update more! Now enjoy!**

Chase and Icera, as usual, sat together in class. Class had started about a couple minutes ago. A number of girls and guys who sat nearby glared at the pair. A fair number of the female student population at Spenser belonged to Chase's fan club, while there were quite a lot of boys who had a crush on Icera. Both were blissfully unaware (well, as unaware as one could be with admiring stares everywhere) of this, and of another matter.

A few rows below sat Reid and Caleb, while in another part of the class sat the other two Sons of Ipswich. Reid was staring blankly at the blackboard, while the other three were throwing him rather worried looks. And of course, to Chase too. Except that he, for some reason, had not noticed at all.

The night before, Reid had told them everything, from what he had overheard to his conversation with Chase. They responded with utter shock and disbelief. Tyler had given him a 'are-you-kidding-me' look, completely unbelieving. Pogue and Caleb seemed to believe him, but Caleb had reacted the most strongly. He had also been furious - angry with Chase for not telling them anything and angry with Putnam for trying to destroy the Covenant generations of witches had tried for three centuries to protect.

Barely a month ago, Chase had been the antagonist, as Tyler would say. They had thought that he was merely trying to seek redress for his ancestor's punishment on his own accord, but never would they have thought that Putnam still existed - albeit in ghost form, but nevertheless extremely powerful - and that he was the one who had told Chase about the Covenant. He had been the one who caused Chase to nearly kill off Caleb and destroy the rest of the Covenant. And Caleb had defeated him instead, thankfully.

"It's not exactly his fault, you know. We've got to find a way to stop his sacrifice," Reid had defended Chase.

"We are still in serious trouble. This is a life and death thing. W have a total of seven shares of Power. So does Putnam. And he has had a few hundred years' experience with Using. He can manipulate it in ways we can't!" Caleb had hissed.

"Look, Cay, we just reunited the Covenant. Chase reformed, or whatever you wanna call it. He's on our side now!" Pogue had spoken up this time.

"Well, I suppose you guys are right..." Caleb had admitted slowly. Then he had continued, after a moment's uncomfortable silence, determination evident in his voice, "We'll find a way. We'll work it out. The Covenant has been separated for three hundred years, and it won't break up again."

* * *

Reid was jerked from his thoughts - and everyone else from whatever they had been thinking - by a sudden voice from the doorway. Everyone looked down and saw a girl in uniform they had never seen before. She was pretty, with shoulder-length red hair and bright hazel eyes. Her full lips curved up naturally, giving her a contented air. Her face was heart-shaped and she was fair. 

Icera noticed, with a little jealousy stirring in her, that Chase was watching her with some interest. But she had to admit, this new girl, whoever she was, looked beautiful. Probably even better looking than her, she thought with a little dismay. The girl looked somehow familiar. She was apologising profusely to the professor for being late.

"Miss Cohen, is it? First day at school, it's normal for kids like you to get lost," Professor Charles said. "Let me find a seat for you... there, next to Mr Chase Collins."

"Miss Cohen" turned her head rapidly in the direction of where the professor was pointing, and recognition flashed in her eyes. Icera was also struck with recognition. Alyssa Cohen, her late brother's friend's younger sister. Back in the pre-Spenser days, both girls were tied for the most popular girl in school. Chase knew her quite well too - no wonder he was looking at her. He must have recognised her earlier. Icera sighed inwardly with relief, to her surprise. Normally she would not be jealous, but somehow, Alyssa made her feel insecure.

"Remember her? Andrew's kid sister," Chase said quietly.

"Yeah. She still looks great, doesn't she?" Icera blurted out in a whisper, hearing the jealousy in her voice.

If Chase had heard that very jealousy, he did not show it - at least, not at that moment. "You still look the best in my eyes. No matter what others say."

Icera felt reassured at _that_, but still, she could never be too careful. It seemed that Alyssa already had a few fans of her own, as she walked up the steps to the free seat beside Chase.

"Hi guys! Never expected to see you here!" Alyssa smiled at Chase.

"Nice to see you," greeted Chase.

"Same here," Icera said rather cheerily, although her eyes were challenging Alyssa.

She knew that Alyssa had had a huge crush on Chase since the day she met him, but she had never shown it - at least, not so much. After all, Chase and Icera were inseparable. Alyssa and Icera had been great friends at first, but after Icera discovered that Alyssa liked Chase, there was instant enmity between them. Almost by unspoken mutual agreement, they put on an act in front of Chase and Andrew so as not to arouse suspicion.

"Now. Miss Cohen, even though you are new, I expect that you will follow the school rule of not talking in class. Mr Collins, Miss Williams, you ought to have known better. One more time and it's detention for the two of you," Professor Charles said in a loud, authoritative voice.

All three snapped back to attention, although Chase and Icera were looking at each other with some amusement. Alyssa looked decidedly pissed off.

_Jealous, are you?_ a voice said in Icera's head.

Icera turned her head to look at Chase, who gave her a quick glance, but it was clear that he was expecting an answer from her. _Sort of. Alyssa and I... well, we aren't on the best of terms, _she replied slowly.

_You know I'll never like her. Not in _that_ way. Maybe as friends, but you're still my princess, _Chase's voice declared in her mind, after a moment's silence.

_Mushy_, teased Icera.

Chase physically shrugged a little, smiling broadly. Alyssa seemed to have noticed that he was beaming at Icera and not at her. He was treating her as though she were invisible. She had definitely seen the challenging look in Icera's eyes. The battle had started years back. It would continue now. She didn't care if they were together now. She had not lost before, at most only tying with others, but even that was rare. _I won't lose, I've never lost and I won't ever_, she thought to herself, while in her mind, she formulated her plan.

* * *

Over the next few days, problems were increasing among the Covenant members. The Sons behaved pretty normally around him, except for Caleb, who was very tense, and even more so around him. Reid too, carried a guilty air about him in Chase's presence. Chase had suspected that Reid had gone and told the whole group about Putnam, even though he had specifically told him _not_ to do so, until at a later date. 

He found out the truth only when Tyler accidentally blurted it out, after school on Friday, while they were all in the car on the way to Nicky's. The girls were, as usual, in Caleb's car. Tyler had been incredibly frustrated with the current situation. The tension among the group was absolutely unbearable for him. And so, he told Chase that Reid had, indeed, told them all about Putnam.

"I thought I said-" Chase began.

"Oh, hell. They deserved to know anyway. So the matter's settled. This is gonna be one hell of a tough time, but we gotta make it, or else," Reid cut in exasperatedly, while still driving.

"Fine. By the way, why did you guys invite Alyssa?" Chase asked, looking back at the Ford, which was behind the Hummer.

"Oh, her? I thought she's a really nice girl. She does know you and Icera, anyway. Might as well invite her, even if she _is_ the only one not in the know about the Covenant," Tyler said.

"And she accepted _your_ invitation?" Reid said, an arrogant tone in his voice.

"Well, duh! What's that supposed to mean?!" snapped Tyler.

"Nothing. I mean, she's hot, but she's new," Reid said, rolling her eyes.

"Sarah was new too, when we met her. We instantly hit it off," Caleb defended.

"I suppose you can be excused, Golden Boy. I just thought that Alyssa wasn't, well, all too nice. In fact, I felt she liked _you_, Chase," Reid replied, grinning.

"What?" Chase was taken aback. Was this why Icera had been so jealous?

"I noticed that too. She stares at you throughout lessons, and I've seen her argue with Icera once. I chanced upon them, but they didn't see me. I swear, their argument was about you," Pogue added.

Chase swore under his breath.

* * *

In Caleb's car, Alyssa was chatting to the other girls whenever Icera was not. Sarah and Kate had understood over the past week that Alyssa and Icera were on bad terms - so bad that they treated each other as utterly invisible in others' presence. They had also picked up that their beef had something to do with Chase. Rivalries between two girls rarely, if ever, led to a peaceful ending. There were bound to be catfights sooner or later. 

Alyssa was all dressed up, in a green halter top and black miniskirt. She had captured more than a few boys' attention during the past few days she had been studying at Spenser. Icera thought snidely, as she looked at Alyssa's choice of clothes, _She doesn't know how cold Nicky can get. We'll see._

She had to admit that being jealous was simply not her. She tended to be trusting and accepting, but which girl did not have some sort of arch-enemy? Even the most popular kids had rivals, she thought grimly, like how the Sons of Ipswich were always at odds with Aaron Abbott and the rest of his gang. She had absolutely no intention of sharing her boyfriend with Alyssa, or with any other girl for that matter. She was pretty comfortable with other girls around Chase (at least, those she knew that would not pounce on Chase as soon as she wasn't around, figuratively speaking), but Alyssa was simply different.

Later on, when they arrived at Nicky's, they noted that Tyler's Hummer was already parked in a free lot. Sarah, who was driving as usual, parked in a free one opposite the Hummer. "Chase and the rest are already here. Thought that we could have been faster," Alyssa commented.

"I was kinda surprised Pogue didn't want to ride his bike," remarked Kate casually.

"Who?" Alyssa asked.

"Oh, Pogue's one of the Sons of Ipswich. Kate's boyfriend. But I suppose Chase, Caleb, Reid and Tyler, plus him, wanted to talk. And the roads aren't very safe at night," Icera said sweetly, but there was an underlying tone of biting smugness.

"Got that. I merely forgot for a moment," retorted Alyssa, in an equally sweet voice and turned towards the entrance.

Together, the group of four walked inside the pub. Some problems had been resolved, but new trouble was already stirring.

**For your info, no, I'm not gonna break up Chase and Icera. But, sort-of spoiler, Alyssa could be important to the plot. Stay tuned! And remember to review! More reviews could mean faster updates! I swear!**


	15. Heated Exchanges

**So I didn't update for months. Not that I've forgotten or, almost worse, forsaken the story. I just have MAJOR EXAMS that will dictate how my life will go for the next few years coming up in approximately one and a half weeks. I've got time off tonight (it's night here where I live) so I decided to update. I promise the next chapter will come after Oct 9, before Oct ends. Same old disclaimer, and enjoy the story. And remember to R&R!**

An hour and a half had passed by fairly comfortably in Nicky's, and Icera was utterly relieved to find that Alyssa did not try to flirt with Chase. That was, until Reid, Tyler and Pogue had gone to play pool and Caleb and Sarah decided to dance ten minutes before. Alyssa tried to smile and actually have a _conversation_, not one-word-exchanges, with Chase as soon as she noticed that Icera was talking to Kate and not with Chase.

Chase had merely smiled back and gave short, polite replies. Alyssa then gave up - it was clear that tonight was not her night. She would be leavng Spenser in a few weeks' time, as she was just one of those in her school selected for the student-exchange program, but she did not want to go. And she suspected Reid of knowing about her crush on Chase - he had winked at her when she met his gaze - but she could hardly think of _how_ he did. Icera and Chase had been inseparable for almost the whole night, and even spent a little time making out at the table, oblivious to others' stares.

"You guys should lay it off a bit," Kate remarked when the pair had stopped.

"Talk about Pogue and you!" laughed Chase.

"Hey, we don't do it in the public like you guys do," Kate replied in a mock-offended voice.

"I swear that just two days ago, I saw with my own eyes that Pogue and you were making out in the hallway at school," Icera teased.

"Oh, whatever," Kate responded.

Alyssa, meanwhile, had listened in on the conversation. She knew she could not offer her opinion, since she knew so little about the group and their relationships, but she still felt a little hurt inside. After all, she could do nothing but listen.

Then her mobile phone rang. She looked at the screen with a frown, then answered the call with a lttle reluctance. The rest continued chatting. "Hey. Why are you calling so late?...What? It's loud in here... I don't wanna... Oh, fuck. Fine. See ya," Alyssa ended her call with a hiss in her voice.

"Got another appointment?" Icera asked politely, not showing the relief she was feeling inside at Alyssa's leaving.

"Yeah. See you all. Tell the rest I needed to go," Alyssa replied with a small smile, standing up.

As she turned and walked, she passed by Chase. An idea popped into her mind. With a challenging look at Icera, she bent down and gave Chase a quick goodbye kiss on the cheek - though, it lasted about a half-second too long for Icera's liking. "Buh-bye," Alyssa said sweetly, and walked out of the bar with a satisfied air.

Icera looked away in anger. Chase looked momentarily disconcerted, then wiped his cheek hastily. He was shocked - that was the only word to describe what he was feeling right now. He then looked at Icera, but she was still turned away from him. He could sense that she was feeling angry, sad and jealous all at the same time. An uncomfortable silence settled in the air. Kate cleared her thriat and spoke. "Um. I'll be looking for Pogue."

She quickly stood up and left the two of them alone. Chas reached out to take Icera's hand, but she pulled away. "Icera..." he said quietly.

Icera gave no response. She should have stopped Alyssa from kissing Chase as soon as she saw the look in Alyssa's eyes. Chase was shocked, sure, but something in her head told her that Chase actually knew that Alyssa liked him. If so, why hadn't he pushed her away. He might have known something like this would happen. Feelings were hard to control, after all.

"Icera, please," Chase said with a little more urgency. Iera heard him say it in her head.

"You let her," Icera swallowed at this point, "kiss you."

"Look, I didn't expect her to kiss me, okay? I knew that she liked me-"

"You knew? You knew and you didn't try to stop her or anything of that sort?" Icera snapped.

"Reid just told me back in the car! And when Alyssa kissed me on the cheek, I was just too shocked to actually do anything! I thought she'd be one of those girls who just admire from afar and nothing else, even if she _is_ hanging out with us. How was I supposed to know that she'd actualy kiss me?" Chase was trying hard not to lose his temper but he getting frustrated.

"She's liked you for a long time, probably since we met! It's one of those elongated crushes or something! Our friendship is strained precisely because she likes you! She's not like other girls, she's the kind who takes action! You could reject her and not lead her on!" Icera said angrily, feeling tears threatening to fall.

Chase stared at her and said wearily, "Icey... I don't even know _why_ we are suddenly fighting so much over this. Over Alyssa. And she's been here for such a short time."

Icera looked up at him, her eyes glazed over with moisture. She looked down again with a sigh and shook her head. "Sorry. I don't know what got over me tonight. I just feel tense around Alyssa... Like there's something more to her. something bad."

"Hey, it's okay. You're just letting your imagination run wild. She won't break us up. I know she won't," Chase smiled gently, holding Icera's hand.

"By the way, how did Reid know?" Icera looked up at Chase with a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

"He has his perceptive days," Chase responded with a quiet chuckle, and kissed Icera.

The night suddenly seemed so much better for the two of them.

* * *

"Why did you call me? I was having fun with my friends!" Alyssa said angrily to her brother, who stood looking at her calmly, dressed in a simple hoody and jeans.

"Or do you mean flirting with Pope?" Andrew replied coldly, his voice betraying the smile on his face.

"What? It's Collins, Chase Collins," Alyssa responded in confusion.

"We've found our enemy, Lys. The last living Pope is Chase Collins... or should I say, _Pope_," Andrew said in a both cool and excited voice, his eyes glinting dangerously with fire - a fire that spelt trouble.

**That's it for Chapter 15. More coming in next chapter. I told ya Alyssa could be important to the plot. But anyway, I hope this will tide you over for a couple of weeks. See you all when my exam ends! And remember to review! grin**


	16. Impt Author's Note

**Important Author's Note**

I realise I haven't updated for a long time and I've broken my promise of updating before the end of Oct. I am currently taking a major break off FFN to focus on some new projects. I apologise for making you guys wait so long. I do want to continue with FBOW, but just not now. I will update every now and then, but they'll probably take a long time.

When I first began the story I was obsessed with Covenant, but as time passes by I realise that liking has faded considerably, although I still like Covenant. Just not as strongly now. It's been a pretty long time since I started the story (in my opinion) and yet I'm not done with it. My writing is pretty amateurish, regardless of my age (12-going-on-to-13). I'm lacking in some areas and I'll try to improve on those areas through my new projects. I'll be back, most hopefully.


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